Hellraiser: Unleashed
by Sharona1981
Summary: An alternate look at Hellraiser 3:Hell On Earth. Pinhead is unbound, free of his humanizing soul and hellbent on world domination. Now, it's up to Joey Summerskill, Pinhead's human counterpart Elliot Spencer, and Elliot's old lover, to stop the Cenobite's plans of destruction.Features my OC, Nadine Jones.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hellraiser: Unleashed. An Alternate Hellraiser 3 Story**_

"…**But his doom  
Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought  
Both of lost happiness and lasting pain  
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes  
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay  
Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:…"**

-John Milton, 'Paradise Lost'

_Nadine Jones is the only character I own; the rest belong to the creative genius that is Clive Barker. As stated above, 'Paradise Lost' belongs to John Milton. Some parts of this fic will be familiar to anyone who read my other HR fic, but I can promise this one will be that much lighter_. _Purely for entertainment purposes-no copyright infringement intended._

_A special thank you goes out to laura101 for her kindness and support. And for being an 'Elliot-lover' like me! _

**PROLOGUE, PART 1-NADINE **

_INDIA, 1920-21_

Nadine Jones had a reputation. And not a very good one, either. She had lost her husband a little over two years ago, in the Great War, but had had no shortage of willing men to share her bed since then.

It was her own fault. And yet, it wasn't. She was desperately lonely, and, by her own admission, starved of affection. She, however, never seemed to _get_ affection. Because of the darkness in her, the part of her that welcomed pain with open arms.

Really, it was all down to the monstrous bastard she'd had the misfortune of wedding. Major James Winters had died a hero, but people _knew_. Knew that he had been an alcoholic brute who'd had no qualms about beating his own wife. The people who had tutted and shook their heads when she had insisted on being referred to by her maiden name almost immediately after becoming a widow, were the same people who had so often had to drag her husband away from her. The cuts and bruises had eventually faded, but her hatred of him never had.

Heaven help her (and she knew damn well nobody up _there_ ever would), but she had felt so much joy and relief when she found out he'd died. She was free, at last.

Except she _wasn't_.

She was a damned soul, a slave to her own appetites, appetites her husband had fed. Perhaps it wasn't quite true that she welcomed the pain-but it was all she'd come to _expect_.

And then, she met Elliot.

Captain Elliot Spenser-polite, respectful, charming, compassionate...and _dark_.

_So_ dark.

James had been stationed in India at the time of his death, and Nadine had stayed, finding a job as a seamstress. The pay was terrible, but she loved the country, and as a 'war widow', the men who had survived that awful time had been kind to her.

_Some_ of them kinder than others.

She'd met Elliot at a bar, and they'd hit it off right away. She knew men were drawn to her beauty-with her long, red hair, hourglass figure, smoky voice and piercing green eyes, she'd always had plenty of eager suitors-but from the very beginning, she'd felt there was something different about Elliot. For one, he wasn't into all that idiotic macho posturing like some of the other soldiers were-and he certainly didn't give a damn about what anyone thought of him. However, she also knew that the war had affected him deeply, left him feeling guilty that he had survived, and angry with God for deserting him and the brave men who had died, some under his command.

Elliot had propositioned her that first time, and she might have said yes, except...she still didn't quite understand why, really. She'd felt an immediate attraction to Elliot upon meeting him-he was startlingly handsome, with his pale blue eyes, and gentle smile, not to mention that wickedly mischievous air that he had.

But, under all that, Nadine sensed a real, conscious darkness, a destructive nature. They said eyes were the windows to the soul, and she could see right into Elliot's.

And they scared her-mostly because she thought she could see a reflection of her _own_ soul in there.

They'd become friends for awhile, until Nadine, as often happened, had felt her own darkness rising, and had provoked Elliot into losing his temper. Worse, she had provoked him into _hitting_ her. He'd seemed genuinely horrified, and had apologized profusely, until she'd expressed her desire for him, and he'd practically dragged her back to his bunker, where she'd tied him to his own cot and cut him up with his very own knife. Actions that had culminated in raw, animal sex.

And he had loved every _minute_ of it.

She had proven her point-that even gentlemen were beasts, that no matter how polite and respectful they were, they were only out for one thing.

And then, point well proven, three months into their 'relationship'-was that an accurate term?-Nadine realized that, without even knowing it, she had broken her one cardinal rule:

_**Never**__ fall in love_.

She hadn't even realized she'd been falling, if she was perfectly honest. Elliot could be as brutal as James had been, but not in the same way. She was often left with cuts and bruises, but Elliot hurt her not only because it gave _him_ pleasure, but to give _her_ pleasure as well.

And it did.

But that darkness was only one side to Elliot-he could also be funny, and kind. And _yes_, a gentleman. In bed, he was a demon, but otherwise...he made her laugh, made her feel good about herself. And no man had ever done that.

To his men, he was slightly eccentric. But decent.

To his superiors, he was insane. And dangerous.

To Nadine, he was simply..._Elliot_.

She had loved him, without ever meaning to. However, she didn't for one second believe that he had, or would, ever love her. Elliot didn't seem to be capable of loving anything, or anyone.

Least of all _himself._

They had been together about a year when he disappeared. It had started innocently enough, when Elliot acquired a mysterious puzzle box, a _'gateway to unknown_ _pleasures_', as he'd described it. Nadine had scoffed at the very notion, until he'd put it in her hands, and terror had gripped her.

It was just a _box_....but it wasn't. Just as she'd sensed the darkness in Elliot, she'd sensed the very real evil inside that box.

She'd told Elliot not to open it, that she was afraid for him, but he'd just laughed, told her he _had_ to open it.

He had to _know_.

The very next day, she'd left him alone with the thing (oh, how she _deeply_ regretted doing that), and when she'd returned some hours later, Elliot was simply..._gone_. His clothes and belongings were still in the bunker, but Elliot himself had vanished into thin air. At least, that's how it had seemed, until Nadine found a bloody scrap of his shirt, and she'd felt that terror grip her once again. The box was gone, and Nadine, at that exact moment, knew that Elliot was dead, and she felt her heart split in two.

She didn't quite know how a box could kill someone, but instinctively, she knew it had killed the man she loved.

And the father of her unborn child.

And she'd never _told_ him...

_**(This is really nothing more than a quick re-introduction to Nadine-with a twist. In this story, she DID love Elliot, and this will be much more romantic than my previous fic-which I haven't finished yet, but WILL return to. Promise. **____** Hope you enjoyed!) **_


	2. Chapter 2

**An Unexpected Visit**

**(Author's Note: I'm not going to go into all the details of Hell On Earth in this fic, since, first of all, previous authors here have already done that much more eloquently that I could, and secondly...well I'm going to presume anyone reading this has already seen the movie anyway. If not...I recommend you do! I'm not going to show Joey's meeting with Elliot in Limbo; rather, this chapter-and subsequent chapters-takes place directly after that. Credit goes to The Cure and Ludwig Van Beethoven**.**)**

_"Hopelessly adrift in the eyes of the ghost again; _

_Down on my knees, and my hands in the air again. _

_Pushing my face in the memory of you again, _

_And I'll never know if it's real... _

_Never know how I wanted to feel..." _

**-The Cure, "Untitled" **

In August of 1921, Nadine Jones was attacked and killed by vampires, the developing life inside her womb also perishing. But they had not left her to die; they had instead made her one of their own kind, a demon, a killer.

Three months after Elliot's certain demise, Nadine herself was dead, along with the unborn child neither of them would ever see. However, Nadine was doomed to walk the earth forever, as a vampire, one of the undead.

But she had never stopped loving Elliot-or wondering about what had happened to him.

She had always felt certain that the box had killed him, but when she got to his bunker the evening he'd vanished, there was no trace of the box. And she had never found it again. No matter how hard she'd looked.

But still, Elliot remained in her thoughts. And in her heart...

**New York, 1992**

After seventy years of being immortal, Nadine truly believed she'd seen it all. She'd lived through several wars-so much for The Great War being 'the war to end all wars'-and more pain and suffering than one could imagine.

And she should know-she'd been the cause of a lot of pain and suffering herself.

However, unlike some vampires, Nadine did not kill indiscriminately. She needed human blood to function, of course, but only criminals and the truly evil and depraved died at her hands.

Contrary to popular belief, vampires were not strictly evil. Not unless they _chose_ to be.

She had never been evil-just dark.

Just like Elliot.

Nadine had left India about a year after her 'death', a year after her child's death, a child she still thought about every single day, and had gone firstly to London, and then eventually, on to New York, stowing away on a ferry. London evoked too many memories of her former life, a life she could never return to.

New York really only came alive at night, which suited Nadine just fine, since so did she. It was rife with vampires at the time she arrived, but then their numbers seemed to dissipate slightly. Now she rarely saw another of her kind.

Then again, vampires were extraordinarily good at keeping themselves hidden.

As _she_ was.

She lived underground, in one of a multitude of tunnels criss-crossing the city. Home was a basement bunker which, blessedly, wasn't too close to any sewerage system.

She might be dead, but she still had standards.

Nadine walked alone, hunted alone, generally. But she did have one friend, or at least, the closest approximation to a friend a vampire could get.

Saul.

They had once been lovers, but the affair had ended fairly quickly. Because, dead or alive, no matter who Nadine took into her bed, her heart still cried out for Elliot. Which Saul, thankfully, had understood.

Only, it seemed that Elliot's death had been a little more permanent than hers.

Sitting there, in her 'apartment', littered with photos and artefacts she had acquired by fair means or foul, both old and new, hands clasped behind her head as she leaned back in her chair, Beethoven spilling out of a modern stereo system, Nadine looked like a woman both out of time and perfectly _in_ it.

A contradiction. An anomaly.

In pride of place, on a rather battered dresser, was an old, sepia-toned photograph of Nadine, with Elliot. Both alive, his arm around her waist, both smiling into camera.

And now, both _dead_.

Nadine felt that utterly familiar twinge of regret and heartache-strange, how a heart that no longer beat could still _hurt _so much-at the thought of Elliot. It still seemed so unfair that he had died so suddenly, so _pointlessly_, before she could tell him of her pregnancy.

Before she could tell him she loved him.

Of course, if Elliot _had_ lived long enough for her to tell him these things, she would probably have lost him anyway. She really didn't believe, even now, after all this time, that he had ever loved her. She had just been a warm body in his bed, a sexual object, someone he could hurt.

Someone who could hurt _him_.

Nadine made a low sound of frustration, before getting to her feet, slamming the chair back. As if on cue, the moment she got to the dresser and picked up the photograph, staring into Elliot's handsome, smiling face, the strains of Beethoven's "Für Elise" filled the small living space, and Nadine felt tears welling up.

Elliot had always loved that piece, had once told her, albeit when he was drunk, that it reminded him of her. A statement which she had laughed at, because it was such a passionate, loving piece of music, and it seemed ludicrous that it should have reminded Elliot of her.

And now, it would forever remind _her_ of _him_.

The sudden, unexpected knock at the door interrupted Nadine's train of thought and she replaced the photo on the dresser, then turned in surprise. Nobody knew where she lived, except Saul, but he never came here. She always went to him, if she needed anything.

Thrusting open the door, she stared in shock at who she beheld behind it. Not Saul, but an attractive young woman, who looked vaguely familiar.

And extremely nervous.

Immediately on the defensive, Nadine said sharply, "Yes?" Swallowing hard, the young woman said, "Um...Nadine? You don't know me, but my name is Joey Summerskill. I'm a..."

"TV reporter." Now Nadine remembered where she'd seen this woman. But didn't care. What was she _thinking_, coming here? "I know who are you are, Miss Summerskill. I also know you shouldn't be here."

Looking even more nervous now, but commendably undeterred, Joey pressed, "But you _are_ Nadine Jones?" Nadine came forward slowly, frowning. "If you know _who _I am, Miss Summerskill," she replied. "Then you probably also know _what_ I am." Sensing something suddenly, she let out an amused snort. "Hence the crucifix currently tucked inside your blouse, am I right?" She added.

Nadine watched as the younger woman-_considerably_ younger, obviously-took a step backwards, sudden terror flooding her features. "H-How did you know...?" She stammered. "I'm a vampire, Miss Summerskill." Came the reply. "All vampires have a certain, _aversion_, shall we say, to any form of religious iconography. But we can also sense them." She chuckled humourlessly, then added, "Crosses cannot kill or even hurt vampires. Neither can garlic, holy water, or Bibles. I believe you've seen too many movies."

Off Joey's frightened expression, Nadine leaned in closer, and concluded, "I strongly suggest you _leave_, Miss Summerskill. You shouldn't have come here, whatever it is you seek." Then, without a word, she turned her back to the reporter, and started to walk back inside.

"I need to talk to you about Elliot!"

Those words stopped Nadine dead in her tracks, her blood freezing in her veins.

She _couldn't _have said...

She spun on her heels, eyes wide, her gut feeling one of incredulity, but also..._hope_?

"_What _did you say?" She gasped, and Joey, obviously gaining a little more courage, said, "Elliot. Captain Elliot Spenser?"

Nadine felt like bursting into tears, and almost did, but now was not the time for silly melodramatics. What could this mortal, this _child_, possibly know about Elliot?

"Do you have _any_ idea," she murmured, allowing herself the tiniest of smiles. "How long it's been since I've heard that name?" Standing aside, she opened the door, and told her, "You'd better come in."...

(**Okay, not much happening here, but next chapter, Joey explains about Elliot, and how she found Nadine in the first place. But what does Joey-and Elliot, for that matter-want with Nadine? Stay tuned!) **


	3. Chapter 3

_Joey and Elliot_

**(Before we get to Joey's explanation about Elliot, this is just a chapter explaining things a little clearer from Joey's point of view)**

Joey Summerskill had had a very strange couple of days. It had all started while she had been doing a rather mediocre report at a hospital, when a trolley carrying a screaming young man had suddenly come bursting through double doors, pushed a couple of paramedics.

Joey didn't know why at first, until she saw the hooked chains protruding from the man's body. As they rushed him into theater, Joey pursued them, and the moment she stepped in, security materialized as if from nowhere, to remove her, and then, the man had been ripped apart, right in front of her disbelieving eyes.

A couple of eyewitnesses had seen him at The Boiler Room, an upscale club downtown, run by a guy called JP Munroe. The victim had been seen playing around with a small box-which, apparently, the chains had come from, when he'd finally got it open.

The cops didn't seem to want to touch the case with a barge pole, and when she'd asked about the box, one of the witnesses had simply pulled it from his pocket and pushed it into her hands, looking freaked out. "Take it." He ordered. "I don't know what this thing is lady, or what it does, but it's _totally_ fucked up."

Doing research on the box had ultimately led her to the Channard Institute, long since closed down, some papers, and a videotape, where a frightened girl named Kirsty Cotton, being interviewed at the institute, had spoken about a mysterious box:

_"I don't know what it does. It just __**hurts**__." _

Joey had no interest in opening the box-to be honest, it creeped her out a little. And it creeped her out even more after listening to what Kirsty had to say about it. And the Cenobites...the ones that came when you opened it, to tear your flesh apart...it sounded like something out of a horror movie!

And then, things had gotten _really _weird.

Joey was watching the Kirsty tape over for a second time, and the moment Kirsty said-"I don't know what it does-it just hurts", the TV suddenly filled with white static, and as the static cleared a little, she saw a handsome man, dressed in a military uniform of some kind, who then spoke directly to her, in a British accent:

_"She's telling the truth, Joey." _

Two nights later, she'd had the dream. The same dream she'd had for years. The one about her father, where she was standing in the battlefield at Vietnam, where he'd died, where in her dreams, she looked for him, but he was always beyond her reach.

And then, the scene had changed, and Joey was standing in a trench watching men in old-fashioned uniforms do battle, the sound of gunfire and cannonfire deafening, the blaze from muzzles splitting the night.

She had woken in her bed with a start, only to sit up, mind still frazzled from sleep, to hear an unfamiliar jazz melody coming from downstairs. Initially, she thought maybe she'd left the TV on, until she walked onto the landing and found that her apartment was literally pulsing with orange light.

Intrigued and curious, rather than frightened, Joey had made her way downstairs, knowing something very strange was going on, but also that, whatever this was, it wasn't going to hurt her.

The source of the light seemed to be coming from a closet at the corner of her living-room, and when she'd opened it, she'd been shocked to see an old antique radio sitting there, from the very early 20th century, by the looks of it. This was also the source of the jazz.

And she was pretty damn sure _she_ didn't own it.

Carefully, a little warily, Joey had lifted the radio out of the closet, and placed it on her coffee table-then realized something else with a start.

It wasn't plugged in.

The radio was playing, but it _wasn't plugged in_.

Slowly, no longer sure she wasn't dreaming, she'd turned the dial, initially picking up nothing more than snatches of voices and music and intermittent static, until, from out of nowhere, _his_ voice floated out, kind, and somehow comforting:

_"Joey. Go to your window." _

And, while she knew it probably seemed crazy to obey a man who had first magically appeared on her TV, and was now a disembodied voice on a radio that wasn't plugged in, Joey had done just that, walking over to her living-room window and drawing the shades.

At first, she didn't quite know what she was looking at. It certainly wasn't New York. It looked like a hut of some sort, dimly lit. And sitting on the floor, cross-legged, bent over a box-_the puzzle box_, she realized-was the same man she'd seen on her TV. Cautiously, she pressed her hand to the window-only for it to glide straight through it as if the window were made of nothing more substantial than water.

She didn't quite know, even now, why she hadn't been scared, but she had, after only a moment's hesitation, walked straight through her window.

She'd stood there, directly in front of him, this man who had called to her, and realized he wasn't moving. She'd called to him, shouted at him, but there was no response. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a doorway opened, and again acting completely on faith, Joey walked through.

The scene had changed; she'd found herself standing so a field, a field littered with corpses, the sky grey, fire casting malformed shadows.

It was Limbo, she'd soon discovered. And it was there that she'd met the Captain.

Captain Elliot Spenser.

Polite, kind, handsome...and _dead._

He had been for about seventy years. At least, as a _human_, he was dead. .

Elliot had told her everything. About the box. About what it did. About what it had done to him. About his demonic counterpart, now unbound by the laws of Hell and free to roam the earth, intent on forcing it to bend to his will.

He'd told her he needed her help, in reuniting the demon with himself, the human side, and sending them both back to Hell, that while he couldn't act in her world, she could help him by acting in hers.

Joey had expressed doubt as to her ability to complete such a dangerous mission alone, and Elliot had replied, after thinking a moment, "I know, Joey. There _is_ much danger involved. But I know just who can help you."

And then, Elliot had told her about Nadine, how they had known each other back when they were both still human-still _alive_-how Nadine was now a vampire, living underground, how she would help Joey, he was sure-if Joey told her who had sent her.

He hadn't expressly stated the nature of his relationship with Nadine, but judging by the affectionate, whimsical expression that had appeared on Elliot's face when he mentioned her name, Joey had pretty quickly guessed that they had once been, well, _intimate_.

_Lovers_.

Elliot had told her exactly where she could find Nadine-"I've been watching her since I ended up in this place, but I was never able to contact her."-and then Joey was back in her apartment, as if the bizarre encounter had never taken place.

But she knew better than that.

Ordinarily, she would never have so willingly obeyed the request of a man-a _ghost,_ really-she didn't even know, but there was something about Elliot. Something authoritative, and yet..._decent_. He hadn't demanded anything of her, just laid the facts out straight-of course, the whole story sounded completely insane, but what was even more insane was that she believed it. Every word.

There was something so heartbreaking, so tragic, about Elliot's story, that Joey had found herself _wanting _to help him.

Before she'd left to find Nadine, Joey had found a small gold crucifix in her jewellery box. She knew nothing about vampires, except what she'd seen in movies-had never believed them to be anything more than fictional, in fact. But, despite Elliot's assurances that she would be perfectly safe with Nadine, because _he_ had sent her, Joey knew she couldn't be too careful.

She'd slipped the crucifix inside her blouse, just inside the cup of her bra, and then put the puzzle box into the wide pocket of the leather jacket she was wearing. As proof, in case Nadine didn't believe her.

Not that she'd blame her if she didn't.

It had been hard enough to track Nadine down. She was familiar with the streets themselves, but the underground tunnels were harder to navigate. Finally, though, she'd located her home, hidden away in the myriad of tunnels, just as Elliot had described it.

Standing on the threshold, hand upraised to knock, she'd wondered what to expect. A terrifying, demonic creature? What if Nadine no longer even remembered Elliot?

Though he'd seemed to believe she would.

Finally, Joey had knocked, and when the door had opened, she'd braced herself for whatever horror she was about to witness, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her eyes when Nadine appeared in the doorway.

She was..._beautiful_. Incredibly beautiful. Flame-red hair piled up on her head, elegantly held back with a barette. Pale, almost translucent skin, and the most hypnotic, intense green eyes she'd ever seen.

Joey wasn't _that_ way inclined, obviously, but if Nadine and Elliot _had_ been lovers, as she suspected, she could definitely see what had attracted him.

Although, she had to admit, Elliot was a _very_ attractive man as well.

Nadine had recognised her from TV, to Joey's surprise, but had dismissed her coldly, in a cultured British accent , incredulous that she had come _here_, to _her_. Then she had genuinely frightened her, by casually telling her she knew about the hidden crucifix, and that it was worthless against vampires.

And for just a second, her unearned, but unquestioning faith in Elliot had wavered.

Nadine had ordered her to leave, then turned her back and began to walk back inside. Joey almost let her go, but then found her voice. Whether this woman wanted her here or not, they had work to do.

"I need to talk to you about Elliot!"

Joey wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, or the right wording, or whatever, but it certainly seemed to have the desired effect, as Nadine immediately spun around, eyes wide.

"_What_ did you say?" Her astonishment was unguarded, and when Joey said his full name, she watched as the other woman's expression became one of disbelief. But also hope. And something else Joey didn't recognise at first.

_Love_.

Nadine had _loved _Elliot.

"You'd better come in." As Nadine allowed her entry, Joey found herself wondering if she was doing the right thing, helping to dredge up this woman's past-her _human_ past-in such a way, and how the Hell she was going to be able to explain all that had happened-and all that was _going_ to happen...

**(Just a little look at things from Joey's perspective; didn't mean to go into so much detail about the movie-I hadn't planned to, but I guess this chapter merited a deeper explanation. As you can tell, there's no Terri in my story, and if there is, she won't appear until later. Next chapter, Joey tells Nadine about her encounter with Elliot-and that the man Nadine still loves really needs her help. Read and review, pretty please!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**An Explanation**

_(Once again, "Untitled" is the property of The Cure-that is the actual name of the song by the way, lol. I'm a huge 'Cure-head', and the lyrics seemed appropriate for this fic.)_

Nadine stepped back into her apartment, sighing impatiently when she turned around to see Joey still hovering in the doorway. "It's safe to come in, Miss Summerskill." She told her. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but if I wanted to kill you, you would already be _dead_. Now come in, and shut the door."

For a moment, she actually thought Joey was going to turn tail and flee, but then she finally entered, closing the door as she'd been instructed to, then looking around her in frank fascination.

"Before you ask," Nadine said drily. "No-I don't own a coffin, never mind sleep in one. Another myth, Miss Summerskill." Turning her back to her, walking towards the seat she'd vacated only moments ago, she quietly added, "I can't imagine what you could possibly have to tell me about Elliot. After all, he _is_ dead. In fact, I'm fairly certain he's been dead longer than I have."

"Does this look familiar to you?" Nadine turned back at Joey's enquiry, and when she saw what she was holding out to her, she froze, jaw dropping open.

_The box_.

_The damn box_.

Suddenly filled with dread, Nadine hissed, "Where did you _find_ that?" Joey seemed to hesitate a moment, then told her about the guy at the hospital, the one who had been ripped apart, and the witness who had given her the box.

Pointing a finger at the object clutched in Joey's hands, Nadine said, "That thing is evil. I don't quite know what it is, or what it _does_-I just know it's evil. And I know it killed Elliot." She looked into Joey's face, and with a jolt, registered no surprise.

_She __**knew**_.

"It _did_ kill Elliot, didn't it, Miss Summerskill?" She said haltingly, heart aching. Was she finally going to find out what had become of her lover?

"Call me Joey." She replied. "And I really think you should sit down. I'm gonna tell you some stuff you might not want to believe."

Nadine, in a daze, obeyed, pulling out a chair for Joey and gesturing to her to do the same, then demanded, "What happened to him, Mi..._Joey_?" She watched as Joey took a deep breath, and replied, "It's a trick. The box is supposed to offer pleasure-" "A 'gateway to unknown pleasures' ". Nadine interrupted her. "That's how Elliot described it."

Joey nodded slightly, then continued, "But it's not really pleasure. Not _our_ experience of pleasure, anyway. The box is a gateway to Hell, Nadine-that's where Elliot was taken."

Nadine felt the room begin to spin around her, a cold, dead feeling surrounding her heart.

_Hell_?

The man she loved had been taken to _Hell_?

But she could tell from Joey's expression that she wasn't finished telling her yet. And while Nadine Jones hadn't begged for anything in a long, long time, in these circumstances, she would make an exception. "Please, Joey," she implored. "What happened to him?"

"Hell's idea of pleasure is a little different to ours." Joey explained. "There, pleasure is _pain_-and vice versa. They...tear the body apart, take the soul. And they're...tortured, forever."

Nadine felt her eyes flood with tears, Joey and her surroundings becoming a watery blur. The knowledge that Elliot had died alone, and in agony, was almost too much to bear. She had left him _alone_ with that thing.

She had left him to _die_.

"But that's not exactly what happened to Elliot." Nadine's head snapped up at this remark, and she furiously wiped at her eyes.

Tears would not bring Elliot back to her.

"They..." Joey trailed off, seemingly unsure of whether to continue, but as Nadine glared at her, willing her to go on, she continued, "They...made him one of them. A Cenobite."

Nadine frowned. _Cenobite_? That sounded familiar. "Cenobite." She repeated musingly, and when it hit her, she couldn't help but laugh. "Aren't Cenobites priests of some sort? Oh, come on-you can't tell me they made Elliot a _priest_! That's ridiculous!"

Joey shook her head. "The Cenobites are demons." She replied. "Guardians of Hell. They're the ones who..._take_ you, when you open the box."

Nadine couldn't believe what she was hearing. Elliot had been taken to Hell, and turned into a _demon_? Turned into one of the _things_ that had killed him in the first place?

"How do you know all this?" She asked numbly. In her wildest imaginings, she had never thought something so awful could have happened to him.

"Elliot told me."

Nadine gaped at Joey, trying to suppress the urge to laugh-and failing. "Elliot _told_ you." She chuckled. Strange, how she was laughing-since she didn't find any of this in the least bit funny. "Tell me-are you a _medium_, as well as a reporter, Joey? Dead people don't _speak_."

"_You_ do." Joey retorted, and Nadine had to concede at that, smiling slightly. "Touché." She murmured, then added, "Are you saying Elliot _spoke_ to you? If he is in Hell, how is that possible?"

"About five years ago, a girl named Kirsty Cotton opened the box." Joey told her. "She didn't mean to-it was her uncle who first opened it, you see, and...anyway, she opened the box, and that's when she met Elliot. Or, what he'd become. When humans become Cenobites, they eventually lose all memory of their past life, but it was Kirsty who finally reminded Elliot of who he used to be. She set him free, released his soul. But when she did, the demon was unbound from Hell, and Elliot's soul was sent to Limbo. The demon Elliot was, is _here_, Nadine. On Earth. And Elliot needs us to stop him."

Nadine couldn't speak for several moments. She was finding it extremely difficult to absorb exactly what Joey was saying.

Elliot was here, on Earth?

Only, it wasn't _really_ Elliot.

"Elliot brought me to Limbo, after I had a dream about my father, who died in Vietnam." Joey continued. "He told me where to find you, told me that you'd help."

"He told you all that, did he?" Nadine couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice-she couldn't comprehend all of this. She didn't really believe Joey was lying-but if she wasn't...

After all these years, Elliot needed her.

But she couldn't...she couldn't face him.

"You've had a wasted journey, Joey." She said regretfully. "I can't help you. I'm sorry." Joey made no effort to mask her obvious surprise. "But, Elliot..." She protested.

"I _can't_!" Nadine tried hard to bite back the tears, but they still flooded her eyes. "After all this time, I...it's too late. He's gone."

"He's out there." Joey's voice was growing in volume, and apparent desperation. "At least, his demon side is. And he has to be stopped. Do you understand? The world is..."

"I don't _care_ about the world!" Nadine hissed, her anger, frustration and heartache overwhelming her. "I no longer live in it, anyway." Resolutely, she stood and turned her back on Joey, uttering a silent apology to Elliot:

_"If you can hear me...by some miracle, if you can hear me...I'm so sorry. But I can't do this. Not even for __**you**__, darling. I just can't."_

"Go." She told Joey coldly. "You'll have to find someone else to help you."

Nadine waited until Joey left, the door slamming behind her, and then she sank onto the chair, tears spilling down her face. It was like losing Elliot all over again. But after all these lost years, she couldn't face the thought of meeting him-or, what was _left_ of him-again. She was too afraid to look at him, too afraid he had changed too much.

Or that he hadn't changed at all.

Boxes, Hell, Cenobites...it was all incomprehensible, and yet, all made perfect sense.

Shoulders shaking, crying as if her heart-long dead, but still able to feel pain-was going to break, Nadine stood again, shakily and walked over to the old, upright piano in the corner. She wasn't really a fan of 'modern' music, but she did like some British rock, like Depeche Mode, David Bowie, The Eurythmics...and especially, The Cure.

And there was one song she'd learned by heart.

Sitting, she began to play a melancholic tune, and finally, in a slightly quavering voice, began to sing:

_"Hopelessly adrift in the eyes of the ghost again; _

_Down on my knees, and my hands in the air again. _

_Pushing my face in the memory of you again, _

_And I'll never know if it's real... _

_Never know how I wanted to feel..." _

Eyes closed now, tears still streaming down her face, Nadine got to the chorus:

_"Never quite said what I wanted to say to you; _

_Never quite managed the words to explain to you. _

_Never quite knew how to make them believable, _

_And now the time has gone... _

_Another time undone..." _

It wasn't until she heard the soft buzzing that Nadine's hands stilled on the piano, and her eyes flew open, widening considerably when she saw the pulsing orange light that had suddenly flooded her apartment.

As if pushed by an unseen force, Nadine glided across the floor on legs she seemed to have no control over, right over to the door Joey had exited from only minutes ago, and acting completely on instinct, flung it open.

And came face-to-face with her past.

Well, not _quite_ face-to-face. Her past was sitting on a dirt floor, apparently frozen in time-but what he held in his hands did not escape her attention.

_The box_.

Still in his uniform, still looking exactly the same as he always had...but Nadine quickly realized that this was an illusion. He wasn't moving, head down, fingers locked around the puzzle box. Those exquisitely long, _skilled_ fingers, Nadine remembered with a shudder.

Only an illusion...and yet, her own fingers were reaching out, not of their own accord, to touch. Only for them to glide through what felt like a curtain of silk, her hand disappearing into blackness.

With a yelp, Nadine withdrew her hand, and stared at it for a moment, then stared at the image of her lover, still frozen. "What the _Hell_?" She muttered, her grief forgotten for now, her curiosity piqued.

"Good question."

Nadine wheeled around at the unexpected, but agonizingly familiar, voice, and landed on her backside. Only to realise that she was no longer in her apartment, but sitting in a grassy field.

A grassy field littered with corpses.

She knew this place, knew it only too well. All the suffering and death witnessed and endured here.

_Flanders field_.

And then, a pair of boots appeared beside her, and somehow, she knew before she even looked up, who was standing over her. Slowly, she tilted her head back and looked up into a pair of pale blue eyes, a smiling face. And everything around her faded, until he was all she could see.

"Hello, Nadine." Elliot said...

(_OK, apologies for the severe lack of quality here-haven't been doing very well, health-wise, lately, and inspiration escaped me. Hope it's ok. Anyway, next chapter, we find out if Elliot can persuade Nadine to help Joey save the world and send him back to Hell.)_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Reunion**

Nadine stared up at the figure looking down at her, and even though she'd known what to expect when she looked up, she couldn't stop her mouth from dropping open in shock.

It..._couldn't_ be.

And then, his smile grew wider, and she felt something inside her just melt.

The things it used to _do_ to her, that smile.

But it _couldn't_ be him. It just _couldn't_ be.

"You're not here." She protested, voice shaking slightly. "You're not _real_." She looked around at the battle scene before her, bodies strewn everywhere, and added, "_None_ of this is real."

He dropped to his knees beside her, sweeping his cap off, and Nadine looked into that handsome face, those beautiful eyes, and had to fight the urge to launch herself into his arms and never let go.

It _wasn't_ him.

"That's sort of the problem, darling." He said gently. "I'm not really _anywhere_, anymore. And as for my not being real..." Reaching out, he took her hand in his, squeezing a little.

He felt exactly as he used to-warm and solid. _Human_.

"I'm real here, Nadine." He added. "As real as _you_ are."

Nadine could only stare now. This man, whom she'd lost, so long ago, was here, and talking to her. Impossible as it seemed.

"Elliot?" She whispered brokenly, and off his affirming nod, she closed the miniscule distance between them in one leap, throwing her arms around his neck, and finally let the tears go. "Oh, Elliot." She sobbed. "I've missed you so much."

Elliot returned her embrace briefly, one hand on the small of her back, the other cupping the back of her neck. "I've missed you, too." He replied, the words almost muffled against her hair. Then he slowly pulled away, his own eyes glittering with tears as yet unshed. With the gentlest touch, he brought his hands to her face, rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks, then her eyes. "No tears, darling." He murmured, his voice on the verge of cracking. "I'm not worth it."

"_I'll _decide that." Nadine retorted sharply, then, taking in her surroundings, she added, "Let me tell you something, Elliot Spenser-I've been around for over a hundred years, and this is by far the most bizarre experience I've ever had. But then, every bizarre experience I've ever had has been somehow connected to _you_, so I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised."

When she turned to face him, Elliot was grinning. It made him look so much younger. "Don't suppose that's a compliment." He joked, and Nadine shook her head, grinning herself now.

Damn the man, and his damnably contagious smile.

Deciding it was better to get down to business-no point in trying to go back to a past that was no longer real-she asked, with a sweeping gesture of her arm, "This is Limbo?" When he nodded, she added sadly, "Oh, Elliot-what Hell could be worse than _this_?"

Elliot's grin seemed to vanish as quickly as it had appeared, and standing up, he reached down, extending his hand to her. "Let me show you." He said grimly. Nadine hesitated but a second, then allowed him to pull her to her feet.

And he _did_ show her, as he had shown Joey-acquiring the box, opening it, his journey to Hell, his decades of service for the god Leviathan, with no memory of the man he used to be. Until Kirsty Cotton reminded him of his humanity, essentially setting his soul free.

"I-my human self, that is-was sent here, to Limbo." Elliot explained. "Damned to wander its wastelands forever, constantly reminded of the life I can no longer return to, while the monster I became has been unleashed on Earth, determined to overrun it outright. He needs to be stopped, Nadine. _I_ need to be stopped. I know you refused to help Joey, but I'm asking you now. Please, help her. Help _me_."

Nadine had taken all of this in, horrified and deeply saddened. Of course, she knew the basic story after hearing it from Joey, but to hear it from Elliot himself, to know how horribly he had suffered-to _see_ it, with her own eyes-broke her heart.

"You didn't deserve this." She said. "All that suffering, all that pain, all because of a box. It's not fair."

"Perhaps not, darling." Elliot replied, a sad little smile forming on his lips. "But what I do, or not, deserve is no longer up for debate. As for the box..." He chuckled suddenly, as he seemed to think of something, before adding, "Aren't you going to say 'I told you so'?"

Nadine simply stared at him, then snorted with laughter. "Elliot," she said slowly. "I'm a vampire, and you're a bloody _ghost_. Think it's a little _late_ for 'I told you so', don't you?"

Elliot seemed to consider this, then burst out laughing, shoulders shaking in what appeared to be genuine mirth. When he looked up at her, his eyes were twinkling with mischief, and Nadine suddenly wanted desperately to kiss him.

Seventy years...and she still loved this man as much as she had before he'd left her.

"Yes, I imagine it is." Elliot agreed, as soon as he stopped laughing. "'Though I expect you're still quite annoyed with me, for...leaving, so unexpectedly."

"_Annoyed_?" Nadine didn't mean to snap, but the shock of seeing him again, touching him again, being so _close_ to him again, the pain of it all, was becoming unbearable. "I could _kill_ you, Elliot-if there wasn't the slight problem of you already being _dead_!"

Elliot looked like he was about to start laughing again, but he became serious pretty quickly, when she continued, voice still sharp, "I know why you want my help. To fight demon with demon, right?" Elliot began to reply, but Nadine cupped his face in her hand, and murmured, "There is one marked difference between you and I, Elliot. You've been separated from your demon-while I'm not entirely sure there's anything left of me, _but_ demon." Her anger surfacing, she yanked her hand away from his cheek, and snapped, "You sent her to _me_. How did you know I wouldn't rip her throat out where she stood?"

"Because I know _you_." Elliot seemed unfazed, but inside, he was in turmoil. Ghost or not, he was still deeply affected by Nadine's presence. After all, they had been lovers, and in a lot of ways, he had opened up to her more than anyone in his life.

Not enough, of course. In the end, Nadine hadn't been enough for him. _Nothing_ had been. Which was why he'd sought the box.

And paid for it with his life.

Only thing was, in Limbo, being on the outside, looking in, he had discovered things about Nadine he had never previously known.

"You were never a monster, Nadine." He continued gently. "Not like _I _was. You could never really hurt anyone. You never welcomed pain-you just _expected_ it. Because of that _idiot_ you married. And I never knew. Because I didn't _ask_. Because I didn't _care_."

He paused, and felt agony, agony that no Hell could ever touch. "And our child." His voice shook uncontrollably, mouth trembling. "The child you never got the chance to tell me about. The child you lost, because of..." He gripped her face in his hands, memorizing every line, every feature, for the last time, knowing that when they parted this time, it would be forever.

Nadine's eyes widened in obvious astonishment. "H-How do you know...?" She trailed off weakly, pulling away, and Elliot replied, "I've been here for some time, Nadine, and while I cannot act in your world, I can observe. I've watched you, seen you talk to that other vampire...Saul, I believe his name is? I heard you talk about your husband, about the baby who perished when you became a vampire. About how you never had the chance to tell me I was going to be a father."

"You...have been..._spying_ on me?" Nadine seemed to be annoyed again, at this idea, and Elliot, trying to placate her, shook his head, and retorted, "I wouldn't call it spying, Nadine. I was..._curious_. After all those years...I wanted to see you again. I know that, at the time we were together, it seemed I didn't care, but I _did_, I swear it. I still do." Reaching out, he gently took her hands in his and pulled her closer. "And I'm so sorry." He added earnestly, willing her to believe him. "Sorry for everything I did to you, for what I made you suffer. I was..."

"It wasn't your fault, Elliot." Nadine cut in, her expression much more gentle now, but her voice so sad. "If you hadn't been there, there would have been someone else. There would _always_ have been someone else."

And Elliot knew that was true. Nadine's husband, in his acts of degradation and brutality, had bred a darkness in her, a darkness that had only attracted more darkness. And it had drawn Elliot, like a moth to a flame. In hurting her, he'd thought he was giving her what she wanted, when, in fact, he had only been finishing what that bastard had started.

"I was no better than your husband, was I, Nadine?" He enquired, angry with himself, for what he had done to her. "What I did, the pain I put you through..." "I don't believe that." Nadine disagreed. "There was so much darkness in you, but you were still ten times the man that James was, believe me. Besides, if you recall correctly, I was the one who provoked you into hurting me. Remember?"

"You were a _woman_." Elliot wasn't prepared to free himself from blame. "I had no right to..." He stopped, and so, it seemed, did his heart, when Nadine put her fingers to his lips. "Stop it, Elliot." She pleaded. "It's too late for regrets, for placing blame. Although, if you want to talk about blame...you're asking me to let you _die_ again. I'm not sure I can do that."

Elliot smiled gently at her words. "Darling, I'm already dead" He told her. "I _can't_ die again." And then, suddenly, he gaped at her, the enormity of what she had just said dawning on him. "Hold on, " he said sharply. "Did you just say you _let_ me die? Nadine, surely you can't possibly blame _yourself_ for what happened to me?"

"I wasn't there, Elliot." Nadine said, voice trembling again. "I left you alone, to die. How can I...?"

"_No_!" She stopped, eyes flying up to meet his, when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders. Now he was angry. Angry because there was no way he was going to allow this woman to shoulder even a shred of responsibility for his own destruction. "I made a _choice_, Nadine." He told her firmly. "I have nobody to blame, but myself."

"From what you've told me," Nadine protested. "The box made your choice _for _you. It _knew_, Elliot. Knew of the darkness inside you. That damn thing found _you_-not the other way around. Hell _killed_ you-and you actually want me to help send you back?"

"It's where I belong." Elliot could feel her anguish, her guilt, and it tore him apart inside. Perhaps he had made a mistake, in summoning her here.

But Joey couldn't destroy the monster he'd become alone-and he couldn't help her. Not until the demon was led here, where Elliot had power, where he could unite with him and they could both return to Hell.

Nadine was their best chance. _His _best chance.

"Hell is the only place that will have me." He continued. "I took my place among the damned decades ago, darling-I'll only be reclaiming it." A pause, and then, the inevitable question-"Will you help Joey? Help _me_?"

Nadine was a wreck. This might only be the spirit of the man, but this was still Elliot. Her lover, the man she had fallen so deeply in love with all those years ago. And he needed her.

"How can I refuse?" She replied finally. "But...what exactly does he want?"

"Flesh." Was Elliot's blunt response. "The world out there is thronged with humanity. Living, breathing, _feeling_, humanity. It's like the Garden of Eden to him. He wants it all to himself, to create his own Hell, on Earth."

"He's new to Earth, right?" Nadine asked, and when Elliot nodded, she said, "Then he won't realise he's not the only demon unleashed on the world." A wry chuckle, as she added, "It's so ironic, Elliot. As a human, you did all you could to _escape_ a war-and as a demon, you're trying to _create_ one." Looking past Elliot, out past Limbo, into the reality she couldn't see, but knew existed, she added, determinedly, "If he wants a war, then that is exactly what he'll get."

"Are you going to ask _Saul_ for help?" The tone of Elliot's voice was not lost on her, and she had to stifle a grin. "Yes." She told him. "He's more aware of vampiric activity in New York than I am-and if there's an army to be gathered at short notice, then he'll do it." Noticing Elliot's deeply unhappy expression, she joked, "Not _jealous_, are we, Captain Spenser?"

Elliot smiled, albeit a little grudgingly, it seemed. "Perhaps." He replied. "You _are_ lovers, aren't you?" "_Were_." Nadine corrected him firmly, though still greatly amused by this.

Jealousy. From a _ghost_. From the ghost of a man who had never loved her, no less. Wonders would never cease.

"And only briefly." She said. "Saul and I are more..._compatible_ as friends. Besides, he's over a century older than me-he could be my ancestor!"

Elliot laughed at that, and they shared that moment of mutual humour, even though Nadine's heart was breaking all over again-because she knew their time was coming to an end.

And this time, she really _would _never see him again.

"Saul and I can handle reinforcements, if need be." She said. "Joey will keep the box with her-if the demon knows she has it, he'll want the enjoyment of taking it from her. But we'll do our best to protect her. I promise you that."

Elliot was dumbstruck. Nadine was dead, he knew that. And yet, vampire or not, she hadn't changed in the least. Still fiery, still free-spirited, still independent, still tough. And still, despite suffering though her own personal Hell, decent.

He knew that Nadine would never hurt Joey-that was why he'd felt confident in sending her. Joey was innocent, a good person-and demonic or not, Nadine lived by her own ethical code.

She only killed the deserving, the truly evil.

Strange though, how a vampire who only imbibed evil blood should not become evil herself.

He stared into that beautiful face, suddenly filled with a longing to hold her, to kiss her. His admiration of her had not waned in the least-she was so brave, so strong-willed.

"You were right, you know." He said softly. "When you told me you'd make a good soldier. You _would _have." Nadine smiled at that. "Nobody believed me when I said there would be women in the Army someday." She quipped. "I knew I was right."

Elliot grinned, as much out of genuine amusement, as an effort to conceal his sadness at her impending departure. "You were right about a lot of things, darling." He told her. "I should have paid more attention to you."

There was silence between them, but Elliot couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. There was so much unsaid, so much to make up for...and not enough time.

_There could __**never**__ be enough time_.

"It's time to go, Nadine." He whispered. "Joey needs you now." "One final question." Nadine said. "That...thing out there, used to be you. He'll recognise me, won't he?"

Elliot nodded. "It's likely he will, yes." He agreed. "But Nadine, you have to understand...don't be taken in by him. In all the ways that matter, he's not me. Not the man you knew, anyway. He has my memories, but not my soul. Don't be afraid to destroy him-because believe me, he'll have no qualms about destroying _you_. Or Joey." A pause, and suddenly flooded with an aching sadness and grief, he murmured brokenly, "So, I think that's all." Slowly, he reached out and stroked her cheek, watching as Nadine leaned into the caress. "Goodbye, darling." He choked out, swallowing back tears. "I'll be watching out for you. And don't worry about finding Joey, you'll know exactly where to find her, trust me." Nadine's eyes were closed, and as the tears slipped down her cheeks, Elliot felt a single tear crawl its way down his face.

_Too late for regrets_, Nadine had said, but that wasn't true. It was never too late for regrets. And he had plenty. Most of them concerning the woman in front of him.

"Goodbye, Elliot." As soon as her farewell left her lips, Elliot turned his back on her, determined not to break down until she had vanished from his sight. But as he walked away, back straight, eyes straight ahead, he heard her choked sob, and he knew. Knew he couldn't leave her without a proper goodbye. Spinning on his heel, he marched back over to her, took her face in his hands, and pressed his mouth to hers.

The kiss started off tender and gentle, but as Elliot put every inch of his soul-of _himself_-into it, it deepened quickly, their lips moulding together as if they had never been apart. Elliot heard Nadine utter a tiny breathless moan, and he knew he had to stop, before they both lost control.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily, and Elliot laid his forehead against hers. "I'll be seeing you, love." He whispered, and then, in a flash, he was gone...

_(Next chapter, Joey, Nadine and Saul comprise a plan of action to stop Pinhead. And __**YES**__! our favourite Cenobite makes his long-awaited appearance!)_


	6. Chapter 6

**A Plan **

_**(Apologies for Nadine stealing one of Pinhead's most famous quotes from HR3, and for the delay in updating.)**_

_Saul Cartwright is my OC-a bit of a smartass in this story, but his heart's in the right place, particularly when it comes to Nadine. I don't know what Joey's friend Doc's second name was, so I just made one up, lol)_

In a flash of white light, Nadine was back in her apartment, like she had never encountered Elliot. Except she still had his unmistakable scent on her, could still taste him on her lips.

Could still hear his voice.

_"I'll be seeing you, love..."_

Tears streamed down her face as she remembered the look of desperate longing and despair on Elliot's face, as he'd said goodbye. It had broken her heart to know that, even though he was now dead, he still bore an enormous burden of guilt for what he had done to her, the pain he had inflicted on her. Guilt he had no business feeling, since she had always given him the impression it was what she'd wanted. Elliot's darkness had overtaken him in the end, stripped him of his ability to feel or care.

And then, like a bullet tearing through her reverie, she remembered:

Elliot's darkness, the demonic manifestation of the monster within him, was here, on earth. And he had to be stopped.

She had to get to Joey. But first, she had an old friend to visit.

Saul Cartwright lived in the basement of an old derelict warehouse, mere minutes from Nadine. Born in 1706 in Rochester, New York, and 'made' in 1739, at the age of thirty-three, Saul was, in total, two hundred and eighty-six years old. And still as dashing and handsome as he had been as a human man. He stood well over six feet, with long blond hair he usually kept tied up, and gorgeous azure eyes. Yes, Saul was very attractive-and nobody looking at him would guess that he had essentially died years ago.

But that was the main advantage vampires had-they looked completely human. Unless angry-or very thirsty.

Nadine got to Saul's dwelling and banged on the door, hoping he would be here-and most importantly, that he would agree to help. From what Elliot had said, this demon was dangerous. It would take more than a couple of people to stop him.

Presently, the door was flung open, and there stood her friend and former lover, silhouetted in the doorway. Even in shadow, Nadine could see the amused expression on his face. "Well, well, well." He drawled. "To what do I owe you the pleasure of this visit?"

"I need your help, Saul." Nadine didn't want to waste time, but got straight to the point, and he grinned at her, stepping aside to let her in. "Well, I didn't think you came here to enquire after my health." He joked.

Nadine entered and shut the door, chuckling softly. "Well, there wouldn't be much point." She replied. "Seeing as how you're _dead_."

Saul was still grinning when he turned to face her. "Good point." He acknowledged, then, marginally more seriously, he asked, "So, what brings you here?"

"Elliot." Nadine's simple reply caused Saul to frown slightly. "You found him?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Not exactly." She told him. "He...sort of found _me_."

"After all these years, he can't be alive." Saul murmured. "He's not." Nadine replied, closing her eyes at the memory.

_"...I'm not really __**anywhere**__, anymore..."_

"Vampire?" Saul enquired. He looked curious now, intrigued. "No." Nadine replied, after a moment's pause. "He's...something _worse._ That's why I've come here. That's why I need your help."

And so, the whole story came pouring out; about what had happened to Elliot after he'd opened the box, about the Hell he'd been taken to, about what he'd become, about Kirsty Cotton and her role in setting Elliot's soul free, about Joey and how she'd encountered Elliot in Limbo, and her own meeting with him-and the fact that the demon who had once possessed Elliot's soul was now on earth, intent on taking it over.

Saul frowned. "So...Elliot is here, on earth?" He said. "It's not Elliot." Nadine reported. "I mean, it _is_, but...it's _not_...but it _is_...oh, it's bloody _confusing_! After seventy years, you don't expect you your old lover to show up-and if they do, you expect the reunion to be sweet and tender. You certainly don't expect them to show up and pretty much say, "Hello, darling, it's been a while-now pay attention because I've got something _incredibly_ confusing and convoluted to tell you. You see, when I opened that box you specifically asked me _not_ to, not only did I _not_ find pleasure, but I got dragged to Hell and turned into a demon. Oh, and now my soul is trapped in Limbo, and my evil demon self is unleashed on earth and wants to take over the world-and I need you to stop it!" "

She hadn't meant to rant on so much, but her frustration and pain and anger were now overwhelming her. She loved Elliot, but he had a lot of nerve, asking for her help, after he'd left her like that.

To his credit, Saul now looked concerned. "Nadine, are you alright?" He enquired, and she shook her head, tears threatening for what felt like the millionth time. "After all these years, Saul." She murmured. "All these years, wondering what happened to him...and now, there's a part of me wishing I didn't know." A pause, and then she added newfound determination filling her voice, "But I'll help him. I feel I _owe_ him that."

"Then I'll help you." Saul told her, all traces of humour gone from his countenance now. "What do you need me to do?" "Can you get an army together?" Nadine asked. "Find vampires willing to aid us? After all, this is their territory-they won't want another demon encroaching on it."

Saul looked slightly incredulous now. "An army-for one demon?" He said. "Surely that's not necessary." Nadine shook her head, face set in grim lines. "According to Elliot," she replied. "He wants flesh. The flesh of humanity, the souls, to bend to his will. But no matter how powerful a demon is, he won't be able to take over an entire planet by himself-he'll need an army of his own. And I'm willing to bet he'll find a way to create one-unless we stop him in time. After all, he did possess the soul of a soldier at one point-he'll know all about armies, won't he?"

Saul arched an eyebrow, looking amused again. "It's a bit clichéd, isn't it?" He smiled. "Demon from Hell shows up and decides he wants to take over the world. Typical supervillain stuff."

Nadine had to grin at that. "I suppose so." She replied. "But apparently, there is nothing typical about this particular demon. Not judging from what Elliot told me, anyway."

"That's the strange thing." Saul said. "I mean, it _is_ Elliot...isn't it?" "Yes." Nadine replied. "But, as I said, at the same time, it's _not_. The demon out there is Elliot's darkness, made flesh. But without Elliot's soul, there's no order in the demon. No humanity. That's why he wants to rule earth."

"I guess the next order of business is to pay Joey a visit." Saul said, changing the subject. "I've seen her around, pretty thing that she is. She doesn't live far from here." Nadine smiled wonderingly. "Elliot said I'd have no trouble finding her." She murmured. "I guess he knows you know." Saul frowned at that. "How would he know?" He asked. "Elliot may be stuck in Limbo, but he can still observe." Was Nadine's response. "He knew I was a vampire, he knew about the baby, he knew about you...knew about _us_." Saul seemed to mull over her words for a moment, and then he gaped at her suddenly. "Hang on," he gasped. "Are you saying he's..._watching_? Is he watching right now?" Swearing, he exclaimed, "Jesus, Nadine, was he watching when we...? Fucking pervert!"

Nadine laid a hand on his arm, and, trying to appease him, she retorted, "Saul, I sincerely doubt that Elliot would find much pleasure in watching me with someone else. He just knew." A wry chuckle, and then she added, "Though he _did_ seem a bit jealous." Saul rolled his eyes to the heavens. "Great." He groused. "I've got a jealous ghost gunning for me...just _wonderfu_l."

Nadine laughed. "You have a spectacular way with words, Saul." She said, affection apparent in her voice. "Be careful what you say though-he may be listening." With a mischievous grin, Saul waved at thin air, and called out, "Hey, Spenser-you still a _jackass_?" Nadine slapped him across the head. "Will you behave yourself, and get a move on?" She scolded him, lips twitching as she struggled to maintain a straight face. "We're wasting time."

She watched as Saul grabbed his coat. "Let's go." He said, shepherding her towards the door. "Sooner we find Joey, and formulate a plan, the sooner we can stop this guy."...

Joey was feeling frustrated. She felt like she'd let Elliot down, in her failure to get Nadine to help. But, in a way, she also understood. While she didn't know for sure, it seemed pretty obvious that Nadine and Elliot had been together at one point. It probably seemed too hard for her to face him again after decades apart.

It seemed strange, though-Nadine appeared to be such a strong person, or vampire. For her to react so negatively to the notion of helping Elliot, it must mean she was afraid, somehow. Probably afraid that after all these years, he would be different.

Either way, it left her screwed-because she wasn't sure how she could do this alone.

"I'm sorry, Elliot." She murmured sadly, while wondering if he could hear her. "I did try."

She was just about to go back upstairs to bed, when there was a knock on her front door. Frowning, Joey looked at the clock. Twelve twenty-one? Who the Hell was calling at this hour?

Cautiously, she walked over to the door, and took a look through the peephole. Relief flooded her when she saw who was standing outside, and she thrust the door open. "Nadine!" She exclaimed, smiling at the woman, but her smile tapered off slightly when she saw there was a very tall, handsome blond man standing next to her.

"Hey, Joey." Nadine greeted her with a nod, then, noticing her unease, gestured to her friend and said, "This is Saul. He's going to help us."

Joey let them in, suddenly nervous, even as Saul politely nodded and smiled at her. "A-Are you...?" She wasn't sure how to pose the question without sounding rude.

"A vampire, yes." Saul interjected, sensing her unease. "But don't worry, I won't bite." He grinned. "Not _you_, anyway."

Nadine rolled her eyes, and turned to Joey, exasperation and amusement playing on her face. "You'll have to forgive Saul." She said. "Two hundred and eighty-six years old, and he has the emotional maturity of a hundred year old!"

"Young at heart, baby." Saul replied, then swaggered into Joey's kitchen as if he lived there.

Joey was still gaping at Nadine, unable to believe her own ears. "Two hundred and eighty-_six_?" She repeated, astonished. "But he looks so..."

"Young?" Nadine cut in, and off Joey's nod, she explained, "Saul was thirty-three when he became a vampire, and once you are 'made', you are immortal. You no longer age. So, while Saul and I are both dead, we also forever remain the same age we were when we died."

"And how old are you?" Joey asked hesitantly. Nadine smiled. "I was thirty-four when I died, in nineteen twenty-one. Which makes me a hundred and five years old. Practically an infant."

As Nadine turned and made her way into the kitchen, Joey followed her in, and asked, "So, what changed your mind?" It was on the tip of her tongue to also ask exactly how she'd found her, but then decided it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was here.

Without turning, Nadine smiled slightly, even as she felt the lump forming in her throat. She could see Elliot, standing there, tall and proud and handsome, just as he had been, over seventy years ago, could still feel the warmth of his arms around her.

"Not what." She replied quietly. "_Who_."

"Elliot." Joey smiled. "You saw him?" Nadine finally turned to face her, and Joey was struck with sympathy when she saw the stricken look on the vampire's face. It must have been so difficult for her, seeing him again, considering how much she had obviously loved him.

"Yes." Nadine said. "We had words." Then, with a soft smile, she added, "If nothing else, Elliot could always be very _persuasive_." With a sigh, she went on: "I promised him I'd help, that I-_we_-would do our best to protect you from the demon out there."

There was a pause, and then Nadine said, "We need to figure out a plan of action, find out exactly where the demon is. Joey, you wouldn't by any chance have a map, perhaps? Of the locality?"

Joey seemed surprised by this enquiry. "Um, I think so. I'll look." She replied, then went rummaging through a dresser in the kitchen, stuffed with papers. Shortly after, she presented Nadine with a map, and asked, "What exactly are you looking for?"

Saul materialized at the other side of Nadine as she unfurled the map on the kitchen table and pored over it. "Got a pen or pencil?" She asked shortly, and Joey handed her a pencil, watching as Nadine began to circle different parts of the map.

"The busiest areas of town." Nadine said finally, in answer to Joey's previous question. "Elliot said the demon will be looking for flesh; therefore, it stands to reason that it will be more likely to turn up where there are lots of people." Turning to Saul, she told him, "If you're going to find an army, you'd better do it quickly. You're a lot more familiar with vampires in this city, and indeed, the city itself, than I am." Striking the areas she'd circled on the map with the pencil for emphasis, she added, "Gather them here, here and here. Groups of eight or ten-larger groups would be too conspicuous. I don't know if this demon can sense vampires, or if he's even aware of their existence, but if he can't, and he doesn't, I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I possibly can. Don't strike unless I give the order to. I won't be far behind."

Joey seemed impressed. "How do you know about all this stuff?" She enquired, and Nadine smiled slightly, before replying, "I married a soldier, Joey. And witnessed two World Wars. I've watched. And listened."

Joey's mouth dropped open. Did she just say..._married_? "You and Elliot were...?" She trailed off, and Nadine merely stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "_Elliot_?" She spluttered, unable to contain her amusement. "Oh, believe me, Joey-if Elliot and I had been married, he wouldn't have had to worry about a bloody _box_ killing him!" She took a moment to steady herself, then explained, more seriously, "I was married before I was with Elliot. My husband died in the Great War."

"Oh." Joey was embarrassed now, but at least she now knew that Nadine and Elliot _had_ been a couple once. Not that it was her concern, either way. "I'm sorry." She looked up sharply, when Saul and Nadine both snorted at the same time, and her eyes widened slightly at the derisive look on Nadine's face. "Don't be." She said shortly. "_I'm_ not." Off Joey's curious look, she sighed and elaborated, "Let me put it this way, Joey-contrary to what he may have told you, Elliot Spenser was not a monster. I know monsters. I _married_ one."

Joey sensed that that was all Nadine wanted to say on the subject; she probably felt she'd said too much already. But she couldn't help but wonder in what way Nadine's late husband had been a monster, and she felt another pang of sympathy for the woman. It must have been so much harder back then, when a woman had to stay with her husband, no matter how cruel he was.

As if reading her mind, Nadine said softly, "Things are so different now. Now, women can simply walk away. But then..." Glancing sideways at Joey, she continued, "Elliot felt guilty, for hurting me, he said. But he had nothing to feel guilty for-whatever I became was because of the bastard I married." She shrugged, then added, "But that is irrelevant now."

"You can't ever die, can you?" Joey enquired, fascinated. "I'm already _dead_." Nadine replied, then, gesturing to Saul, she said, "We both are. But no, we cannot be destroyed-not by any normal means. Mortal weapons cannot hurt us-and as I told you, Joey, holy water, crucifixes, Bibles? All useless against us."

"There is one thing that can destroy us, though." Saul interrupted, sounding worried. "And it's gonna be upon us in about five and a half hours." Joey looked puzzled, but Nadine exclaimed, "_Shit_! Sunrise!" She turned to Saul, and ordered, "Go. Now. We'll catch up."

As Saul nodded and prepared to leave, Joey repeated, "Sunrise?" Nadine turned to her, expression grim. "Direct sunlight-the only thing that can destroy a vampire." She replied. "Now that you know that, I sincerely hope you won't use it against us."

Joey was horrified. Nadine didn't seriously think that she would try to kill her, or something? "No!" She said sharply. "I would never...I _need_ you." Pointing to Saul, she added, "_Both_ of you."

Nadine nodded, then bowed her head. "I apologise." She said humbly. "I shouldn't have thought...it's just that history has shown that humanity can easily turn violent towards that which they do not understand. I wasn't trying to..."

Nadine stopped short when the phone suddenly rang, and Joey glanced at the clock again. One-fourteen? Who the Hell...?

Saul had just opened the door and was about to leave, but turned at the sound of the ringing phone. "You gonna answer that?" He asked, even as Nadine tried to wave him out the door, but he stubbornly refused to move.

Joey picked up the receiver. "Hello?" She stopped, a curious expression crossing her face, then one of slowly dawning, horrified, recognition. "Doc, Doc, calm down." She said urgently. "Where are you, exactly?" She listened to the reply, then said, "I'll be there in ten. Do _not_ move."

When she hung up, she immediately said, "That was a friend of mine. He heard screaming coming from an apartment block on Fifth, said he felt he had to call me, that something terrible..."

"It's him." Nadine didn't let Joey finish. "Let's go." Her tone of voice brooked no argument, and Joey just had time to throw on her jacket and grab the box, before they rushed out the door...

When they got downtown, Joey saw Doc standing by the apartment block he'd called her about; typical of New York, nobody was taking any notice, and surely if Doc had heard screaming, somebody else must have?

Joey greeted her friend warmly, then asked, "Doc, what happened?"

Doc Granger worked as a cameraman, primarily, usually alongside Joey, and when he'd heard the disturbance, the screaming, something had told him he had to contact her, must tell her. Like a voice in his head. Crazy as that sounded.

When he saw Joey approach, he walked towards her, but paused when he saw two people behind her. One was a towering blond guy, the other, a woman-and a beautiful one to boot, all wild Titian hair and exotic eyes.

Joey noticed Doc looking in their direction, and before he could even pose the question, she said, "This is Nadine, and Saul. They're here to help."

Doc frowned suspiciously. Suddenly, he had a very bad feeling about this. "Help with what?" He asked, and he took a step back when Nadine approached him, alabaster skin almost glowing beneath the streetlights, beautiful green eyes hard with determination. "You shouldn't be here." She told him bluntly. "It's far too dangerous. You must leave."

Doc gaped at her incredulously. Who the _Hell_ did this chick think she was? "Listen, lady," he replied sharply. "I don't know who you are, or what you want, but I got here first, and I ain't going anywhere."

Nadine sighed impatiently. "I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue with you." She snapped. "There are forces at work here beyond your comprehension."

As she pushed past him, gazing up at the apartment block, Doc jerked a thumb at her, looking at Joey as he did so. "Does she talk funny, or what?" He quipped, then demanded, "Joey, what the Hell's going on here?"

"I think you'll find the answer's in the question." It was Saul who responded, and Doc looked at the other man with unguarded doubt. There was something about these two that just seemed..._off_.

"Which apartment was the screaming coming from?" Nadine demanded, and Doc glared at her. "How the Hell should I know, lady?" He replied. "My hearing ain't _that_..." He stopped short, jaw dropping open, as, with one superhuman leap, she jumped onto a second-floor window, then started to bound from sill to sill, peering through windows.

Once Doc recovered his ability to speak, he turned to Saul and asked, "Your friend in the circus, or something?" Saul grinned almost wolfishly at him, but didn't respond, and Doc again was filled with a disorienting feeling of unease.

_"...There are forces at work here beyond your comprehension..."_

What was going on? What had he got himself into?

Nadine jumped effortlessly from window to window, storey to storey, not caring who saw her, well aware that time could be running out. As soon as she saw the look on Joey's face when she'd hung up the phone, she knew that something had happened already, that they had wasted too much time talking.

And then, three storeys up, she found it-a sight more horrifying than any she had witnessed in over a century on earth.

Whoever had lived here had obviously been fairly well-to-do. Unfortunately, whoever had lived here also seemed to be very _dead_. The floor of the luxurious apartment seemed to be awash with blood, and chunks of flesh, like a person-or people-had been torn completely apart. And with an inner shiver, she remembered Joey's words_: _

_"...There, pleasure is pain, and vice versa. They...tear the flesh apart, take the soul..."_

They were too late. It had begun.

Nadine landed gracefully on her feet, her attention on Saul and Joey, barely sparing Doc a glance. "The demon was here." She said urgently. "We have to find it, and quickly. Whoever lived in that apartment is now dead."

"Demon?" Doc exclaimed, unable to believe what he was hearing. This whole situation was _nuts_. "Lady, come on-ain't no such thing as demons."

Nadine was officially out of patience. She had promised to protect Joey, but no such oath had been made regarding this human-but she had no intention of letting an innocent die on her watch, and she couldn't watch out for him as well.

Time to put the fear of the devil into him.

Lightning-fast, Nadine spun around and pinned Doc to the wall. He found himself looking into the horrifying visage of a creature borne out of Hell, face contorted, eyes the colour of blood, teeth elongated into sharp fangs.

_Fangs_?

"Jesus _Christ_." He gasped, and Nadine shook her head. "Not _quite_." She retorted, watching out of the corner of her eye as Joey recoiled, horror freezing her features. She knew how frightening she-and all vampires, in fact-looked when they let the demon out, but this was the only way to scare this man into leaving.

Slowly, her feature regained their facade of humanity, and she told a terrified Doc, "My name is Nadine Jones, and I am a vampire." Gesturing to Saul, she went on, "And so is he. The demon we seek is...someone I once knew."

This was a pretty basic summary, but there was no time for details, and she doubted this man would believe her, anyway. Thankfully, her words appeared to be sinking in with Doc. "We are here to help Joey destroy the demon." She continued, her tone much more gentle now. "But we cannot protect you, and her. For your own safety, please leave. You cannot be here."

"Nadine's right, Doc." Joey had recovered somewhat from witnessing Nadine's demonic transformation; of course, she knew she was a vampire, but as long as she'd looked human, it had been easy to kid herself. But now, the truth hit home.

Elliot and Nadine weren't really that different, she realised. Both of them formerly human, both of them turned into monsters. The only difference was that the vampire who used to be a beautiful English lady named Nadine Jones still looked human most of the time, while the demon once known as Captain Elliot Spenser...well, heaven only knew what _he_ looked like now.

"You need to go." Doc was about to protest at Joey's word, but then his eyes met Nadine's and he saw it-the monster dwelling within the aristocratic beauty. He was in way over his head here.

And so, he feared, was Joey.

"You'll be careful." It was a statement, not a question, but Joey nodded her reply, anyway. "I'll be careful." She confirmed, and then Saul murmured, "We'll be with her. No harm will come to her."

Joey was surprised by the solemnity in Saul's words. Where was the wisecracking smartass of not long ago? Though she was grateful for Saul's promise, because it seemed to serve to reassure Doc, and with a quick glance at them, he reluctantly departed.

"Flesh." Joey and Saul jumped slightly, and turned at Nadine's unexpected remark. She looked grim now. "He wants flesh. Where would he go?" She stopped, and then said softly, sadly, "Where _is_ he, Elliot?"

Clear as day, to her heart's agony, Nadine could hear Elliot's beautiful voice, whispering to her across time and space:

_"He's close, my darling. I can sense him. But I don't exactly know __**where**__. I only wish I could help you_."

"Elliot?" Saul said, frowning. "Is he here?" He whirled around, as if looking for him. "Come on, Spenser!" He shouted suddenly. "Help us out here! Where the _Hell_ is he?"

_"He doesn't like me much, does he?"_

Nadine smiled at the sardonic tone of Elliot's voice. "I was under the impression that the feeling was mutual, Captain Spenser." She said quietly.

"What's he saying to you?" Saul demanded, and Nadine shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She replied. "Elliot doesn't know..." She stopped, words tailing off, as her extra-sensitive hearing picked up screaming. Mortal, _terrified_, screaming. Several blocks from where they were. Honing her senses, she concentrated, and felt several hundred heartbeats, sweat, males, females, all congregated together.

And she knew exactly where the son of a bitch was gone, in his quest for flesh.

"The Boiler Room." She declared. "The nightclub. That's where he is. Joey, come with me-bring the box. Saul-" she turned to her friend, who, judging by his grim expression, had also heard the screaming-"Get as many vampires together at short notice as you possibly can. Forget about my strategy, just get them all to the Boiler Room-there isn't a moment to waste. Understood?"

Saul merely nodded, and quick as a flash, he was gone. Without a word, Nadine grabbed Joey and raced off.

In seconds, they were outside the Boiler Room, and then, the vampire turned to Joey. "Give me the box." She commanded, and when Joey hesitated, she said gently, "I promised Elliot I would protect you. I can't let him hurt you. Give me the box."

Reluctantly, Joey handed over the puzzle box, and when Nadine heard another scream, they both raced inside.

At first, Joey thought she'd entered another world, like she had in her apartment when she'd met Elliot in Limbo. Oh, the terrified crowd in the nightclub-some of them already dead-consisted entirely of humans, but her gaze was firmly locked on who-or _what_-was towering over them, standing on a stage overlooking the dancefloor, face devoid of emotion.

He obviously wasn't human, nor did he look like anything Joey had ever seen, or anything she could have ever dreamed up in the deepest bowels of her imagination. His skin was blue-ish grey and was dressed in black leather; Joey could see that sections of flesh on his chest had been peeled back and stitched into the leather. But it was his face that truly mesmerised and terrified her all at once.

His head was completely bald, and an intricate, symmetrical grid had been carved into his head and face, and there were pins embedded in his flesh, one at every corner point of the grid.

He was the most bizarre, frightening creature she'd ever seen-and she'd seen Nadine's vampiric nature.

As for Nadine, she could only stare in horror at the sight that met her eyes. This..._thing_, was what Elliot had become? This disgusting, vile, yet brutally erotic-looking creature was what was left of her lover? This demon with pins in his head, and eyes as black as coal?

"Elliot?" She whispered chokingly, and Joey turned to her, shaking her head emphatically. "No." She retorted. "That is _not_ Elliot. You _know_ that."

Then, the two watched helplessly, as his eyes swept across the crowd, and alighted directly on Nadine. He seemed to frown slightly, and then he smiled, a twisted, cruel upturning of his lips that displayed no humour whatsoever.

"Nadine." His voice, rich and deep, rumbled in his chest, and Nadine's heart ached. That was Elliot's voice. And yet, it wasn't. It sounded the same, and yet, completely different. Elliot had never sounded that sinister.

She jerked then, uncharacteristic fear flooding her, as he added, perfectly matter-of-factly, "I've been expecting you."...

_**(I'm sorry again for the delay in updating, and for Pinhead's all-too-brief appearance. Much more to come next chapter, however. Please R&R!) **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Familiarity Breeds Contempt**

_Dedicated to my good friend laura101 for her kindness and support-thank you hon, your friendship means so much._

Nadine regarded the creature smirking down at her, in horror. Of course, she'd known that he would recognise her, Elliot had told her he would, but what did he mean he'd been _expecting_ her?

He approached, walking slowly down the gangway, while the people still alive cowered in fear. Without turning, or even speaking, Nadine reached out a hand and pushed Joey behind her, never once tearing her gaze from his.

"You look the same." That voice, cold and deep, made her shiver, but still Nadine did not speak. It seemed her voice was locked deep in her throat and she couldn't free it. This...thing looked nothing like her beloved Elliot, and yet, he did. The eyes were black, instead of gorgeous ice-blue, the skin alabaster white, with a blue tinge, instead of tanned from the sun...but she could still see a resemblance, however oblique, between this demon and her old lover.

But she had to stop thinking this way-this was _not_ Elliot, but the demon who had dragged him to Hell all those years ago.

"You've been expecting me." Finally, Nadine relocated her power of speech; her utterance was a remark rather than an enquiry, and he paused, then nodded. "Of course." He told her. "After all, I sent you here. More or less."

_Elliot_, Nadine realized, horrified. He knew Elliot had called for her, had asked her to stop his demonic self. But how...? Stalling for time, she looked the demon dead in his ebony eyes and said firmly, "Let these people go."

He laughed, seemingly in real pleasure and amusement, head flung back, pins glinting in the spotlights. "Why?" He enquired. "Simply because you ask it? You puzzle me, Nadine-you are no longer human, and yet, you wish to save these weak humans? You owe humanity _nothing_!"

The last word was a serpentile hiss, full of scorn, and Nadine took a step back, unafraid, but also uncertain. This creature could not hurt her-not physically, anyway-but she had to remember to protect Joey, who, as she glanced backwards to check on her, looked terrified.

"Perhaps I do owe humanity something." She retorted. "After all, I didn't appreciate my humanity when I was still alive." "And yet, you still possess it." He seemed to be enjoying this little debate, much to her chagrin. "And so does _Spenser_."

There was so much vitriol and hateful mockery in the way he said Elliot's surname that Nadine had to fight to keep her own demon from bursting to the surface. Clenching her hands into fists, she snapped, "Don't you _dare_ speak of Elliot. You're not Elliot-only the son of a bitch who _killed_ him!"

Joey watched in uneasy fascination as Nadine conversed with Elliot's demonic other, but while Nadine had the demon distracted, she flung the doors open and shouted, "_Go_! _Now_!"

The people stampeded out the door, but the demon, surprisingly, seemed not to even notice-his eyes and, apparently, his attention, were fixed firmly on Nadine. He looked amused, like he wanted to indulge her. "Is _that_ what he told you?" He said. "It was Spenser's desire that opened the box, as he told you. He _made_ me, Nadine." A pause, and he added, "And now, he has sent you and Joey to stop me and send us both back to Hell. But you'll find that an impossible task." He searched her face, as if looking for something, then exclaimed, "_Oh_! But I forget-it is not for humanity you do this, but for Spenser. You still love him, Nadine. Even though he abandoned you. Even though he left you to die."

Joey felt Nadine tense up, and laid her hand on her arm. "Please, Nadine." She whispered. "Don't lose it now."

Before Nadine could respond, the demon went on, "Spenser may not realise it, but it wasn't just him who wanted you here. I wanted to set eyes on you myself-discover if you were as intriguing as Spenser's memories seemed to suggest. Of course, I saw your little encounter in Limbo. I miss nothing, child. I see what Spenser sees, when it comes to you. But of course, he couldn't know that."

Suddenly, the doors burst open again, and in came Saul, flanked by about a hundred others. Saul gaped at the demonic figure before him in blatant shock. "What the _fuck_-?" He muttered, and the demon began to laugh again. "Ah, here is your vampire army, Nadine." He said, his tone one of cynicism and utter boredom. "But what an ineffectual force you have brought against me-particularly your friend, Saul. Oh, but I had forgotten-you also took this pathetic weakling into your bed, did you not? Did he satisfy your dark urges, as Spenser did?"

"Hey, I'm not the one wearing a _dress_, you son of a bitch!" Saul's vampire nature was out in force, but as he prepared to rush the demon, Nadine laid a hand on his chest, her expression placatory, but also somehow distracted. "No, Saul." She said firmly. "You will only be playing into his hands." Turning to the demon, she asked, "Is that your intention then? Do you wish to destroy me, perhaps, in an attempt to hurt Elliot?" She didn't wait for him to reply, but plunged on, "If that is what you want, I have to tell you that you will be wasting your time. Firstly, I cannot be destroyed, and secondly, even if you could destroy me, it would not hurt Elliot. Because Elliot doesn't love me. He never did."

Behind her, Joey recoiled in shock. Nadine had loved Elliot, apparently still did, but that love was not reciprocated. It seemed strange to Joey-Elliot had certainly displayed a lot of affection when talking about Nadine during their meeting in Limbo, but she supposed that affection didn't necessarily amount to love. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for Nadine, though, who had spent so many years looking for Elliot, wondering about him...and he couldn't even love her.

Nadine herself was shocked at her words. She had never admitted aloud that Elliot didn't love her, and she wondered briefly if he had heard her. She had heard his voice some time ago, but he was silent now. But, of course, it wouldn't matter if he _had_ heard...she was only verbalising what they both knew to be true. And she didn't blame Elliot for failing to love her. She never could.

She was also horrified that this demon knew of her talk with Elliot, of their plan. She realized now that she was more of a liability to Joey than a help, if he knew what Elliot knew about her, saw what he saw.

Saul stepped up to the breach, expression hard. "You're the one who's gonna be destroyed." He snarled at the demon, who rewarded him with a look of complete impassivity. "I don't mean to get all schoolyard on you, but us vampires? We were here first. You're not welcome here."

The demon pointedly ignored him, gaze still on Nadine. "What makes you think my wish is to destroy you, sweet Nadine?" That rich, baritone voice was an almost feline purr now, cajoling and seductive. "It's the _world_ I want. It, and everyone in it, will kneel before me. Including you. I may not to able to destroy you, but there is still much I could show you. Such sights, such pleasures..." He trailed off, then smiled humourless at this unwillingly rapt audience, and added, "But, for now, you shall have to excuse me."

And then, he simply disappeared.

Saul stepped forward briefly, mouth agape. "What the Hell?" He exclaimed. And Nadine felt the rage bubbling up inside her, as she realized he had merely been toying with them. And that she should never have got involved; her mere presence could now mean Joey's end.

Slowly, she turned to face Saul, Joey and the others, trying desperately not to lose her temper. It wouldn't help, not now. "I can't help you." She told a shocked Joey. "He knows too much about me-I will only be putting you in unnecessary danger, if I remain here to help you." She faced Saul, who still looked angry and frustrated, as she did, and said, "You are my general, Saul-you will help Joey, in my absence. I don't know where the demon has gone, but he will resurface. You must be prepared."

Joey grabbed her arm, desperation etched on her face. "Nadine, I can't..." She began urgently, and Nadine cut in, "I'm sorry, Joey. Truly I am. I know Elliot wanted me to help you, but the demon knows everything about me. If I stay, you'll be in danger. I must go. Saul will protect you-he may have a big mouth-"She ignored his offended, "_Hey_!"-but he _will_ protect you."

Saul turned to Joey when Nadine had left, and countenance totally serious, told her, "I know I'm not who you expected to help you in this, but Nadine's right-I swear to protect you. We _will_ stop the demon-even if it has to be without Nadine's help."

Nadine managed to keep her temper under control until she got back to her apartment, at which point she slammed the front door and let fly. Everything within reach was thrown mindlessly against the wall as she howled in frustration and anger.

That thing, that demon had merely been playing with her, amusing himself with her. And what was worse, he knew exactly what she'd been thinking, what she'd been planning. Because Elliot did.

She was of no use to Joey, she couldn't be-it was better if she left her in Saul's protection. Saul was a smart alec who talked too much, but he was also noble, in his own way, and would let no harm come to her.

Nadine stood in her trashed apartment, eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched. It was well and good acknowledging that Saul would be sufficient protection for Joey, but she'd wanted to see this through to the end, had wanted to keep her promise, to Joey, and to Elliot.

At the thought of Elliot, Nadine felt the all-too-familiar sting of tears, but refused stubbornly to let them fall. Elliot was dead, long dead, as she was-there was no point...

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open when she felt a change in atmosphere, and she sighed when she found herself standing in the familiar surroundings of Limbo. She was aware of him standing behind her, and she did not turn, but merely ground out, "Your timing's as impeccable as always, Captain Spenser."

"I'm so sorry." The sincere contrition in Elliot's voice made Nadine spin around, and she faced her old lover. He looked utterly downcast, his hat tucked under his arm, running his free hand distractedly through his thinning hair. "Nadine, please believe me when I tell you that I didn't know...I didn't know that bastard knew..."

"I can't help her, Elliot." Nadine cut in sharply, refusing to feel any sympathy, or at least, let any show. "Right now, I'd probably only succeed in getting her killed." A pause, and she added, "Saul will protect her. He'll be able to help."

Elliot looked at her, his gaze gardening. "You know him better than I do." He replied dismissively. "Although it's fairly obvious he doesn't like me, or at least, what he's heard about me. And without your presence..."

That was it-Nadine had heard enough. "How _dare_ you!" She yelled into his shocked face, and took a grim satisfaction in watching him stumble back several steps, expression turning nervous. "_You're_ the one who asked for my bloody help! _You're_ the one who got taken to Hell by a demon! _You're_ the one who died on me!" Tears of anger and pain blurring her vision, she said brokenly, voice growing marginally quieter, "Why did you open that _fucking _box, Elliot?" _Why did you leave me_? She wanted to ask, but dared not; she didn't want him guessing that she had been in love with him.

That she still was.

Elliot was still calm, much to her surprise. The Elliot she had known would have yelled back, matched her anger with his own. They'd had some vicious shouting matches back in the day-usually followed by mind-blowing sex, the best way to vent their mutual frustrations.

"Desire." He told her quietly. "I wanted deeper sensations than the normal avenues could offer. Nothing I experienced was enough. Including you." Those last words were spoken sadly. "But you know this already, darling-why are you asking me?"

He was right, of course-she did already know the answer. That her love had not been enough to keep him with her. But, coming face-to-face with that demon, with what was really, physically left of the man she loved, had really brought it home to her.

Elliot was gone. This was but an illusion.

"Let me go, Elliot." She said wearily, watching as his eyes widened in surprise at her remark. "I'm of no use to you now-you should be talking to Joey, or to Saul. They're the ones who have to send him back to Hell. Send _you _back. Just let me go."

She struggled half-heartedly when Elliot took her in his arms, but all struggles ceased when he kissed her, and she sighed into his mouth as he pulled her closer. His hands settled on the small of her back, as his lips explored hers, trying to eradicate her doubt, her fear.

It almost worked.

She jerked out of the tempting circle of his arms, fighting against tears, against her own feelings. She still loved Elliot-heaven help her, still _wanted_ him-but it was too late. She was kissing a _ghost_, somebody who didn't even exist in reality anymore.

"_Goodbye,_ Elliot." She said emphatically, but before she turned her back on him, Elliot stepped forward, eyes widening again, but not in surprise this time.

In _horror._ "Elliot, what is it?" She asked urgently, and he grabbed her shoulders, anger now surfacing on his face as well. "The _bastard_." He hissed. "I should have bloody _known_."

Nadine was about to insist he tell her what the Hell was going on, when he elaborated, "He's out there, looking for the box. He wants to close the gateway to Hell, forever." Blue eyes locking with hers, he added gravely, "But it's not Joey he's after, Nadine. It's _you_. He wants _your_ soul."...

_**(Ok, I'm sorry, I know this isn't great, but I've been struggling to regain my 'mojo' lately. So, in this story, Nadine has a soul...but is everything as it seems? Please R&R! Stay tuned for the next chapter!) **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Time Is Running Out**

Nadine continued to stare at Elliot, until, growing frustrated, he said sharply, "Did you hear me? It's _you _he wants, Nadine."

"Why?" The question was a simple one, and Nadine showed no emotion whatsoever at the bombshell Elliot had just dropped, much to his surprise. "Why does he want me?"

"Because _I _did." Elliot was struggling to control his temper; he had been stupid, underestimating his demon side as he had. Nadine was no longer a saviour, but a target. And that was his fault.

Nadine nodded; she seemed to be very accepting of all of this. "Joey will still need help, though." He mused. "After all, she has the box."

"Oh, no, she doesn't." Elliot watched in astonishment as Nadine reached into her jacket pocket and produced the box, smiling slightly. "I took it from her before we went into that nightclub." She explained. "So, if it's me he wants, Elliot, then it's me he's going to get."

As she turned her back on him, Elliot rushed to her and grabbed her arm, panicking now. What the hell was she saying? "Nadine, you can't _seriously_ be considering offering yourself to him?" He exclaimed. "He'll try to destroy you, you must know that."

"And what if he does?" Nadine challenged him. "Elliot, I'm already _dead_ . Joey, however, is very much _alive_-and I intend to keep her that way. No matter what." Her hand cupping the box, she turned it around in her fingers, much to Elliot's obvious unease, and muttered, "I still say this thing is creepy."

Elliot smiled slightly at that, and then enquired, "What are you going to do?" "I can't tell you." Nadine replied, and Elliot recoiled. "If I tell _you_," she elaborated. "Then, I may as well tell _him_ as well-and there is no way in _Hell_ I'm giving him that satisfaction."

He nodded his understanding, and murmured, "You will be careful, whatever happens?" "I always _try_ to be careful." Nadine replied, with a smile. "It just doesn't always work that way."

Nadine stared at her old lover, torn between a need to find Joey quickly, and a desire for Elliot that had not faded one iota in seventy years. "How about a kiss for luck, Captain Spenser?" He asked, and he smiled, taking her in his arms.

Elliot kissed her long and slowly, savouring the taste and feel of her once again, one hand tangled in her hair, the other cupping her waist. Then, he felt her tongue trace his lower lip gently, and forgotten desire flooded his body.

But, he was a ghost...he _couldn't_...

He jerked back, eyes widening at the passion glittering in her eyes, so familiar. But they couldn't. No matter how much he wanted it. There was too much at stake right now, for them to take pleasure from each other. Time was running out.

"Nadine," he began, but she took a step back, passion slowly replaced by resignation. "I know." She said sadly. "We can't. I have to find Joey. Again." Reaching up, she stroked Elliot's cheek, and before he could say anything, she whispered, "No goodbyes, Elliot. I'm getting rather tired of saying goodbye to you." With a final smile, she turned and was gone...

Nadine did not often lose the power of speech, though it seemed to have become a regular occurrence in the last few hours. Not that she had anyone to convey her shock, horror and utter disbelief to, at the carnage and mayhem that greeted her eyes when she got back out on the streets again.

_Wonderful, Elliot_, she thought bleakly. _Just __**wonderful**__. I talk to you for five minutes, and meantime, the world goes to Hell. _

There were fires everywhere, the orange glow of flames casting shadows on the long streets. Stores had been smashed up, some of them were ablaze, while bloodied corpses were strewn around haphazardly, like broken puppets.

He had started.

And where the _Hell_ were Saul and Joey?

And then, as if on cue, Joey came careening around the corner and almost collided with her. "Nadine!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?" "Trying to save the world, apparently." She replied drily. "Though, judging by all I've missed, I hope I'm not too late."

Joey looked puzzled now. "But I thought you couldn't help..." Nadine interrupted quickly by saying, "I don't have time to explain myself fully. But, suffice to say that I have to stop this monster." Then, looking around, she added, "Joey, where's Saul?"

**THIRTY MINUTES EARLIER**:

The demons had materialised, seemingly, from out of nowhere, or at least, it appeared so to Saul. They had obviously been crudely fashioned, probably by the pinheaded demon himself, from humans. Saul still had his vampire army, but these demons were tough. And they kept right on coming.

Anger spurred him on. Anger that this city-_his_ damn city-was possibly going to be overrun by a bunch of demon freaks, led by a thing that was once Elliot Spenser, a demon that looked like it had suffered a rather traumatic run-in with a sadistic acupuncturist! Anger that Nadine had been forced to flee, to protect Joey. And anger that that bastard Spenser had had the gall to show up after all these years, and expect assistance from the woman he'd abandoned, the woman who had loved him.

Who _still_ loved him.

Vampires could not die, in a traditional sense, but they could be hurt, and the evidence of Saul's battle with these creatures were open, bloody wounds on his arms and face, black blood seeping from them. Lucky vampires had good healing powers. He felt tired and pissed off, especially at the instigator of all of this, that damn demon, who was currently stood on a hill above them all, arms outstretched, orating his dark intentions like some demented preacher, while looking on in awe were his crude army.

He frowned, shaking his head. Hard to believe this creature was at least _part_ of Spenser. Except for the fact that he was really, _really_ annoying.

At first, Saul wasn't entirely sure of what was happening, as his surroundings faded, _he_ faded, and he found himself standing in a grassy field. Recollecting the details Nadine had recounted to him of her encounter with Elliot, he sighed harshly, suddenly knowing exactly what was happening, and where he was.

Without turning around, he said sarcastically, "Hey, Captain Spanky-what the Hell do _you _want?"

"I'm getting stronger." Saul wasn't expecting this remark, and he turned to face Spenser, who was frowning and staring down at his hands. He didn't seem to have heard the jibe Saul had directed at him. "I haven't been able to bring someone out of their reality into mine without using a window before."

"That's great, Spenser." Saul snapped. "While you're in here, going gaga over your great new super-powers, your other half's out there, destroying _my_ city!"

Elliot's face hardened, and he glared at him. "Look," he said sharply. "I know full well you don't like me, and, to be perfectly honest, I don't like _you_ much, either. But this is about Nadine."

"Where is she?" Saul demanded. "What's happened?" With a sigh, Elliot told him, "Before I reply, let me first tell you that I had no idea _he _would know that Nadine and I had spoken, no idea that he would know so much. In answer to your questions, I don't know exactly where Nadine is currently, but she is not far from where you were standing just moments ago. My demon self wants the box, to close the gateway to Hell, so he can remain here, on earth. The box is in Nadine's possession, which he probably already knows by now." He paused uncertainly, knowing that Saul would probably explode upon hearing what he was about to say, then finally plunged: "He has no interest in Joey. It's _Nadine_ he wants. And she's about to confront him."

"You son of a _bitch!_" Saul shouted, marching across the grass to where Elliot stood. "And you just let her go!"

"I didn't _let_ her go." Elliot retorted, his own voice rising. "You know as well as I do how stubborn Nadine Jones can be when it comes to doing whatever she wants. Good god, man, do you honestly think I _want_ anything to happen to her?"

"You don't give a _damn_ about her!" Saul would not be so easily placated, he could feel his anger rising to a dangerous level now. Nadine had always told him that Elliot had a ferocious temper as well, but this scrawny little wimp didn't look like he could beat his way out of a wet paper bag. #

Elliot lunged forward, fists clenched, expression contorting into a furious sneer. "Don't you _dare _dictate to me how I feel about Nadine!" His face turned red as he shouted. "You have _no_ idea...!"

"You don't _feel _anything!" The atmosphere was deteriorating rapidly, and it looked clear that the two men weren't too far away from coming to blows. "That's what got you into so much trouble in the first place, isn't it?"

Elliot was becoming angrier and angrier; while the physical manifestation of his darkness was out in the real world, his infamous temper remained. And he knew just how to get under Saul's skin. "She doesn't love you." He mocked. "And that's a problem, isn't it?"

"All these years," Saul was trembling with fury now. "All these years, she wasted her time waiting for a pompous, stuck-up little dickhead like you. She _loved_ you. And you treated her like _shit_."

Elliot had heard enough. With a growl, he ripped off his jacket, then opened his shirt, almost popping off buttons in his haste to discard the garment. He shrugged it off his shoulders, then tossed it to the ground.

Saul watched this development with growing astonishment. Well, he was wrong about one thing-Spenser wasn't scrawny by a long shot. He was muscular, in a very lean sort of way. Like a boxer.

Elliot got into a defensive position, fists raised. "Alright." He proclaimed. "Let's settle this thing like men."

Saul's mouth dropped open, and then, he burst out laughing. "Who the _Hel_l do you think you are, Harold Franks?" He spluttered. "Put your goddamn shirt back on!"

Elliot came closer, fists still raised. "Are you _afraid _of a fight?" He jeered. "Gone soft, have we? Would we prefer we _danced_, little boy?" Putting his face close to Saul's, he whispered, "What would bother you the most? Knowing I was with Nadine before you? Or knowing that she was thinking about _me_, every single time she was with _you_?"

Elliot was unprepared for Saul's first punch, which caught him unawares, and square in the mouth. His head flailed back, and he stumbled, tasting blood.

Hang on-_blood_?

Saul snorted, obviously seeing it too. "Well," he sneered. "For a ghost, you bleed just fine."

The wind was quickly knocked out of his sails, when Elliot decked him with a terrific left hook, but instead of merely stumbling, the force of the punch knocked him on his backside, and now, _he_ tasted blood.

"Hmmm," Elliot mused. "For a vampire, _you _bleed just fine."

Elliot yelped in surprise when Saul suddenly charged to his feet, tackling him to the ground, trying to punch any body part he could find. However, Elliot was obviously the most experienced fighter of the two, and he rolled nimbly to his feet, managing to punch Saul right between the eyes this time, making him see stars.

"You...never...loved...her." Saul panted, well aware now that he'd picked a fight with the wrong ghost, but too damn stubborn to give up. "That was all she wanted...for you to _love_ her. Was that too much to ask?" He grunted when Elliot hit him again, around his left cheek, then shouted, "Will you stop fucking _hitting_ me for a second? I'm trying to have a serious moment here, and you beating the crap out of me isn't helping!"

Elliot folded his arms, glowering at his rival. "You bloody well started it." He grumbled. "All that namby-pamby whining about feelings and such. I was raised to be a man." A pause, and then he added, "Though, I suppose we British are a little different."

"You're not British." Saul protested. "You're not anything, except _dead_, you moron!" "Well, look who's bloody talking!" Elliot exclaimed, getting all hyped-up again. "You've been dead far longer than I have!"

"You know something," Saul said forcefully. "I bet I could have Nadine back anytime I wanted." "Over my dead body." Elliot growled. "No offence," Saul retorted. "But I think I've seen enough of _your_ dead body to last me a lifetime, thank you very much!"

Saul reached out, lightning-fast, and grabbed the fist that had been hurtling towards his face, then smiled a little. "Do you have any idea what Nadine would _do_, if she saw us right now?" He asked, and to his surprise, Elliot smiled back. "I imagine she'd beat the crap out of _both_ of us." He joked, then leaned down to help Saul to his feet. "We both care about her." He added quietly. "Can't we just agree to disagree on everything else? Before we try to kill each other?"

Saul chuckled. "Yeah, well, seeing as how we're both _dead_ already," he quipped. "That might be a little difficult." Then he asked, more seriously, "So, what exactly does your demon self want with Nadine? He doesn't want to, you know...?"

He trailed off without elaborating, but Elliot got the picture. "Nothing like that." He said quickly. "It's got nothing to do with physical desire, Saul. He wants Nadine's soul."

For a moment, Elliot thought Saul was going to start laughing, but then it passed, and Saul said, "I gotta find her. Before she goes and does something stupid."

Elliot offered him a smile. "You love her, don't you?" He murmured, and Saul nodded slowly. "It's kind of hard _not_ to." He replied, and Elliot's eyes immediately welled up, guilt overwhelming him again.

"I still remember the first time I saw her." Elliot said softly, while reaching for his shirt and jacket and putting them back on, mildly embarrassed now that he had acted so immaturely. "I was in a bar in New Delhi, and I remember the moment she walked in. Every single head in that place turned, including mine. I had to have her. And I did." Sighing, he added bitterly, "And then, I destroyed her, bit by bit. Because I _could_."

"You didn't destroy her, Elliot." Elliot looked at Saul in great surprise when he said this, and the vampire continued, "It was James who did that."

Elliot's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of Nadine's late, not-so-lamented husband. "That bastard bred the darkness in her." He retorted. "But I fed it, nourished it. I wasn't satisfied with merely possessing her-I had to _break_ her, as well." Choking back a sob, he added brokenly, "You were right, Saul. Nadine offered me her heart-and I threw it back in her face. She deserved so much better. She died because of me. She lost our _child _because of me."

"It's too late for that now." Saul's formerly icy attitude towards Elliot was melting a little, replaced by grudging respect. Nadine had always told him that Elliot was never evil, and he could see now that she was right. He had just been a confused, desperate man. Whatever he had done to Nadine, he obviously hadn't meant to, and regretted it deeply. "I have to find Nadine, Elliot. I have to help her. And Joey."

Elliot nodded, regaining his composure, every inch the stoic soldier once again. "Of course." He agreed. "I'll bring him here, once I'm able to-"Saul knew he was referring to the demon-"and Nadine can send us both back to Hell." He extended his hand to Saul, smiling sheepishly. "Truce?" He suggested, and Saul grinned, firmly shaking the hand outstretched to him. "Truce." He conceded. "And remind me never to pick a fight with you again. _Ever_. You pack a hell of a punch, Captain Spenser."

"You acquitted yourself remarkably well too, old chap." Elliot smiled. "Be seeing you."...

**MEANWHILE:**

_"Joey, where's Saul?"_

Joey looked panicked. "I don't know." She said urgently. "He and the other vampires are trying to beat off the demons. There are so many of them, Nadine, I..."

At that, out of the blue, a grotesque-looking demon ambled towards them. Apparently, she had once been female, completely bald now, clad in black leather, her larynx torn open, and a smoking cigarette stuck in there. Nadine recoiled in disgust; unlike Elliot's demon other, there was nothing remotely erotic about this demon.

"He's gonna rule the world." The demon murmured, in a dreamy singsong voice. "Our master is gonna take over this place, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Nadine snorted. "Think again, sweetheart." She growled. "This world isn't big enough for all of us." The demon smiled. "But you don't understand." she insisted. "We're demons."

Joey took a step back as Nadine transformed, her vampiric nature asserting itself. "Guess what?" She murmured, and Joey shrieked as Nadine suddenly lunged forward, grabbed the demon by the neck and with one fluid movement, ripped her head clean off. "So am _I_."

Arterial blood soaked her as the demon's body fell to the ground, and Nadine wiped at her face, then sucked the blood into her mouth. She'd been starting to get hungry, and while she needed human blood to function, there was enough human blood still in this obviously newly formed demon to sustain her for now.

Reverting to human form, she took the puzzle box from her pocket and turned to Joey. "I have to find the demon." She said. "It's me he wants, Joey."

"Hey, girls." Joey and Nadine turned to see Saul sauntering towards them, and Nadine glared at him. "You took your sweet time." She muttered, then did a double take when she saw the fading bruises on his face. "What the _Hell_ happened to you?" She spluttered.

Saul grinned sheepishly. "Elliot and I had a, uh, _conversation_." he replied, and Nadine threw up her hands. "Oh, well, that's bloody _marvellous_." She snapped. "Everything's going to Hell, and you two have been fist-fighting like a couple of schoolboys! What's _wrong_ with both of you?"

"He started it." Saul muttered sulkily, and Nadine turned away from him. "I'm not doing this with you right now." She said sharply. "Honestly-how _old_ are you, anyway?"

She started as Joey grabbed her arm and pointed. And there he was, the demon, his army, smaller in size now, coming towards them. To Nadine's astonishment and disgust, the vampires had mostly dissipated. "Bloody cowards." She muttered, and then looked up at the sky, and realized, with dawning horror, that it must be less than an hour to sunrise. No wonder they'd gone to ground.

Saul noticed too, and totally serious now, he said, "We have to get out of here." Much as it killed her to retreat, Nadine had to agree, and the three of them took off. "There's a church nearby." Joey said breathlessly, as they ran. "We can go in there." Suddenly, she added, "Hang on-you two _can _enter a church, right?"

"Another myth, Joey." Nadine replied impatiently, as they got to the church gates and headed for the main entrance. "Don't worry-it's been a long time since either of us have seen the inside of a church, but we're not going to spontaneously combust, or anything."

They thrust open the doors, and immediately, a priest came rushing over. "Can I help you, children?" He asked kindly, and Joey replied, "We had to come here! There are so many of them-they just keep coming!" "Who keeps coming, child?" The priest asked. "The demons!" Joey blurted out. "The demons!"

The priest shook his head. "There are no such things as demons." He retorted. "They're dark fairy tales, designed to frighten and unnerve us, that's all."

"Do I _look_ like a fairy tale?" Joey and the priest turned, and the priest screamed, to find Saul, his demon at the forefront, eyes crimson and fangs bared. Nadine stepped forward. "Saul and I are vampires." She said calmly. "But believe me, Father-what lies beyond these walls is far worse than we could ever be."

Right on cue, the church doors flew inward again, and tied he stood, silhouetted in the doorway, smiling, pins gleaming. He was alone, much to the surprise of the others. The priest, meanwhile, staggered back, looking increasingly horror-stricken. "No such things as demons?" Joey said, pointing to the creature coming towards them. "Then, what the fuck is _that_?"...

_**(Last chapter to come-I'm thinking if you're of a sensitive disposition, get your tissues out, lol! Hope you're enjoying!)**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Goodbye To You**

(Ok we're at the end-thanks to everyone for their kind reviews. I really hope you've enjoyed my little story. I was on a bit of a Kate Bush 'trip' while I wrote this chapter, as you'll probably be able to tell, LOL. Song credits go to appropriate parties. Credit must also go to Joss Whedon, as I stole a line from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, 'Prophecy Girl', and changed it around a little.)

_"Let me be the only one to keep you from the cold; _

_Now the floor of Hell is laid with stars of brightest gold. _

_They shine for you, they shine for you-they burn for all to see. _

_Come into these arms again, and set this spirit free..."_

**-Annie Lennox, 'Love Song For A Vampire'**

_"...If I only could, I'd make a deal with God, _

_And I'd get him to swap our places..." _

**-Kate Bush, 'Running Up That Hill'**

_"...Hopelessly fighting the devil futility, _

_Feeling the monster climb deeper inside of me, _

_Feeling him gnawing my heart away hungrily. _

_I'll never lose this pain, _

_Never dream of you again..." _

**-The Cure, 'Untitled'**

Saul stepped forward, standing between the two women, looking at the demon standing in the doorway. The priest had already hightailed it for cover, unsurprisingly. "So," Saul muttered. "Anybody _not_ ready for this?"

"Go." Joey and Saul turned to Nadine when she spoke, and simultaneously, they chorused, "_What_?" "It's me he wants." Nadine said firmly, never taking her eyes off the demon. "And it's me he's going to _get_. There should be a back door out of here, or a fire exit. Take it. Go. _Now_."

"No fucking _way_!" Saul exclaimed. "I'm not leaving you here, so you can play the hero." "Saul's right, Nadine." Joey agreed. "This is _our_ fight, too."

"This isn't up for debate!" Nadine hissed, growing impatient. "He wants my soul. It's the only way. _Go_!"

Her tone of voice permitted no argument, and Saul glared at her, before grabbing Joey's arm. "We won't be far away." He told her. "First sign of trouble, I'm coming right back in here."

As soon as they disappeared from sight, Nadine faced the demon and took the box out of her pocket. If her heart could still beat, she was pretty sure it would be pounding by now. As soon as she did this, the demon started walking towards her, and Nadine gasped, throwing her arms over her head, as every window in the place exploded inwards with every step he took in his approach, sending multi-coloured stained glass flying everywhere. He was smiling calmly, almost angelic-looking. Well, as angelic as a leather-clad demon with pins in his head _could_ look.

Finally, the tumult ceased, and Nadine was able to lift her head and look at him. The church was littered with broken glass, that crunched under the demon's feet as he took one final step, then two, then stopped, standing only about a hundred yards away from her. "You face me alone, child." He sounded both curious and amused. "You are either incredibly brave, or appallingly foolish."

"I'm neither, actually." Nadine replied, holding up the box. "This is what you wanted, remember?" The demon held out his hand. "Give me the box." He said, voice deceptively gentle. "And I promise you, your end will be quick."

The demon frowned, expression darkening, when Nadine burst out laughing. "Do you honestly think I'm going to make it easy for you? I didn't come here, so you could destroy me instead of Joey-I came here to put you back in your fucking _box_!"

He flung his head back and shouted laughter. "You think you can stop me? _You_?" His humour vanished, and he growled, "You can't stop _me_, girl. Nobody can. You have no idea what you're dealing with!"

"Actually," a familiar voice called out. "I think she has a fairly good idea. After all, I don't think anybody knows me better." Suddenly, their surroundings started to change, morph, the demon looking bewildered and angry, Nadine triumphant.

She knew what was happening.

It seemed like they were standing in a darkened hut now, and Nadine smiled sadly. It was Elliot's Quansett, appropriately enough; after all, this was where his first journey to Hell had taken place.

Even as she thought it, Elliot emerged from the shadows, no longer wearing his cap or jacket, face set. "It had to be her, didn't it?" He snapped. "You had to set out to destroy the one thing in this world I still care about." Clenching his fists, he shook his head, and added, "But now, you're in _my_ dominion. And now, we're going to _Hell_."

The demon seemed to forget about Nadine for now; he walked towards Elliot, looking highly amused again. "You think you can defeat me, boy?" He called out. "_I_ am eternal. _I_..."

"Elliot!" Nadine called out, and Elliot looked at her, his expression becoming one of exquisite tenderness, and his eyes widened as she held up the box, before enquiring, "How exactly do you open this thing?" The demon began to laugh again, whirling around to face Nadine as she held up the box, as if in supplication, and Elliot pushed past him. "Nadine, don't." He pleaded. "Don't do this. Not you. Please."

"You should listen to him, Nadine." The demon mocked her, and Nadine looked from that sneering, pin-studded face, to the stricken face of the man she loved.

As the demon came closer, Nadine's fingers began to work the box, gliding over its smooth sides and contours. Immediately, Elliot tried to rush to her, but stilled when she held up a commanding hand, the other still stroking the box. "At ease, Captain." She said quietly. "I know what I'm doing, alright? Trust me."

"Did you hear that, Spenser?" The demon seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself now. "She knows what she's doing. Does she also know that if she opens the box, her soul will be destroyed completely? Over and over and..."

He had been staring at Elliot as he said this; now, he turned sharply at the sound of Nadine's laughter. "My soul." She chuckled. "It's my soul you want." The demon smiled. "Yours, and _only_ yours." He replied. Nadine grinned. "You see," she told him, still working on the box, not even looking at it now. "That's going to be a problem."

As the demon faltered, suddenly looking uncertain, Nadine continued, "Vampires are made, not born. In that sense, I suppose I'm not all that different from you. But you see, as far as I can tell, Cenobites retain the human soul they acquire when they are...transformed. To became a vampire, the possessing demon takes over the person's whole being. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm still Nadine Jones in every essential way. Except one." Smiling now, beaming, beatific, she added, "When I get this thing open, they won't come for _my_ soul. Because I don't _have_ one." As the demon roared with rage, Nadine gazed at Elliot, who smiled at her gently. A look of tacit understanding between them, and Nadine concluded softly, never taking her eyes off of Elliot, "But _you_ do."

At first, Nadine wasn't quite sure what was happening; the demon seemed to lunge towards her, and then froze in position, eyes wide, obviously with murderous intent. And then, she realized there was nothing at all moving, except her-even the air was still.

Oh, wait-there was movement now.

Nadine smiled when Elliot came towards her, and she walked past the demon's static form to approach him. "So, you can stop time now?" She joked, and Elliot returned her smile, albeit slightly. "I have power here." He replied. "He was about to attack you, and I couldn't ...it won't last long, though."

She turned to look at the demon, and murmured, "Well, I can say one thing with absolute certainty-that thing definitely is _not_ you." "Oh?" Elliot's beautiful blue eyes twinkled as he bestowed an affectionate and amused look on her. "And why do you say that?" "Well, I'm fairly sure you _never_ talked that much!" Nadine responded.

Elliot began to laugh, and Nadine again felt that familiar ache in her heart. She loved him so much, and of course, she knew that their absolute final farewell would soon be taking place. However, despite her hurt, Nadine felt a grin tug at her lips in response to Elliot's mirth.

Still chuckling, he told her, "Well, I probably would have-if you'd _let_ me!" "_Oi_!" Nadine poked him in the ribs. "Behave, you!" She was suddenly filled with a surge of love so strong, it was almost overwhelming. It had been far too long since they'd engaged in horseplay like this, and it had been a rare enough occurrence when they'd both been alive.

Elliot coughed out the last remnants of his laughter, then much more seriously, he said, "We don't have much time, darling. I need you to know something before..."

"Elliot," Nadine cut in impatiently. "I sincerely hope you're not going to say goodbye again. We've already been through that, remember?"

Elliot shook his head. "It's not that." He retorted. "It's just..." He pointed to his demonic counterpart, then continued, "He said I didn't care about you. As a matter of fact, so did Saul."

"Ah." Nadine was nodding, trying to keep her face straight, and not quite succeeding. "Is that why you punched his face in, then?"

"I didn't!" Elliot looked indignant for a moment, then sighed, and smiled sheepishly "I only hit him because he was _right_, Nadine." He admitted. "I _did_ abandon you. I _did _treat you appallingly. I..." He stopped short, eyes widening, when Nadine lifted her fingers to his lips, her eyes brimming with tears, and said gently, "Stop it. Please, Elliot, just stop it. I already told you, it's too late for placing blame. And I don't care _what_ that thing said, or what Saul said. I know you cared about me."

"You just never knew how much." Elliot's voice was cracking with emotion, and Nadine was astonished when he began to weep silently. "I spent all that time, looking for pleasure, for sensation," he said brokenly. "And I couldn't let it rest, I had to open that bloody thing. And leave you behind. Nothing was enough for me, Nadine. Not even love. Yours, _or_ mine."

Nadine stared at him uncomprehendingly, the magnitude of what he had just said not quite sinking in just yet, and he continued, "I should have stayed with you. I should never have...searched for anything. All I needed was in my arms, and I never even appreciated it. Or you. I kept telling myself you weren't enough. That no matter how much I loved you, it _still_ wasn't enough."

There were tears streaming down Elliot's face now; he looked utterly broken, but for a moment, Nadine couldn't react at all, because all she could hear in her head were seven words Elliot had just uttered, repeating themselves, over and over:

_"...no matter how much I loved you..."_

He couldn't have...all these years, she had been convinced that Elliot had never loved her, that he simply hadn't been capable of it. But now...

When her mouth dropped open, eyes growing wide as saucers, Elliot nodded. "I _did_ love you, darling." He choked. "But I was never able to tell you, because I never allowed myself to feel it. I simply bottled it up, told myself that love was worthless. And so was _I_." Cupping her face in his hands, as Nadine began to cry as well, he whispered, "I need you to know that, before I have to leave you. I love you, Nadine. And I'm so sorry."

Nadine leaned her head into his chest, her tears soaking his khaki shirt, as he put his arms around her. "Well," her voice trembled, and was muffled against Elliot's chest. "It's only taken you seventy years to admit it!"

Elliot chuckled through his tears, then gently caught her arms and held her back. "I have to go now, my love." He told her, and Nadine shook her head and clung to him desperately. "How am I supposed to let you leave me again?" She sobbed.

Elliot's lower lip quivered, and fresh tears flowed down his cheeks. "Because you _have_ to." He replied. "I can't stay, you know that." Using his thumbs, he wiped away her tears, pressed his lips to hers, and whispered passionately, "I'll love you forever, Nadine Jones. Don't forget me."

And then, everything came to life at once, including the demon, but before he could react, Elliot tore himself away from Nadine and launched himself at his other half. "Think it's about time we went back amongst the damned, old boy." He growled. "Don't you?"

Nadine, with shaking hands, started to work the box again, but almost dropped it with shock when, before her very eyes, Elliot and the demon seemed to merge together. "Foolish girl." The demon cried out to her. "It is desire that opens the box-what desire could you possibly have?"

Elliot screamed as his face began to enmesh with that of his demon other, but he managed to catch Nadine's eye, and he tried to smile at the love shining from her eyes. "We all have desires." He muttered. "Even _after _we die."

The words had barely left his lips when the box suddenly jerked in Nadine's hands, emitting a crackling noise, and she gasped, dropping it on the floor, watching as it began to change shape. When she glanced up, she saw with horror that Elliot was gone. Only the demon remained.

"Now," he said softly, though his eyes were glinting with anger. "Where were we?"

"Elliot?" Nadine whispered, and the demon smirked. "He's in here-" he tapped his chest-"weeping for you. It seems he _did_ love you, after all. Now, he can watch me destroy you."

Hurriedly, Nadine picked up the box; it was still changing, and she let out a cry of pain when a corner stabbed itself into and through her hand. Glancing down, she saw it no longer resembled a box at all, but had transfigured into a diamond shape.

"It seems that nobody is coming, Nadine." The demon was close now, and getting ever closer, and she pulled the sharp edge out of her hand and gripped the diamond shape tightly, eyes closed.

She would only get one shot at this.

"What will become of you when I create my own Hell, here on Earth?" The demon demanded, obviously believing he was back in full control. Lifting her head, Nadine looked straight at him, smiling, and replied, "If you're that enthusiastic about Hell, why don't you do me a favour-_Pinhead_?"

She gave him no chance to react; eyes flying open, she leapt up, and grabbed him by the front of his armour, shoved her face against his, and hissed, "_Go there_!", before shoving the configurated box full force into his chest.

The demon staggered back, screaming, white light pouring from his body as he seemed to elongate, then shrink, in front of Nadine's eyes. And, just for a moment, gentle blue eyes stared back at her, full of understanding and gratitude. "I love you." She whispered, and then, in one single blinding flash of light, he was gone, and the box clattered to the floor, back to its original shape.

Moments later, there was the sound of a slamming door, and Joey and Saul rushed in from around the back of the church. "We couldn't get in." Saul said. "We tried to open the door, but it just wouldn't.." He trailed off when he found Nadine sitting on the floor, the box in her lap.

"It's gone!" Joey realized, then whooped with joy, flinging her arms around Saul. "We did it! We won!"

"_Did_ we?" Saul couldn't take his eyes off Nadine. She was sitting there, just staring at the box. She looked utterly empty.

Joey extricated herself from Saul and then looked at Nadine, her expression suddenly sorrowful, and slowly, they approached her.

"Typical." As was usually the case with Saul, he tried to add levity to proceedings, gesturing to the box. "I was just starting to _like_ the son of a bitch!"

He was referring to Elliot, and Nadine knew this, and she offered him a watery smile, before turning her attention to Joey, pushing the box into her hands. "Take it." She said firmly. "Burn it, bury it-I don't much care."

Joey nodded solemnly, and Saul piped up, "We'd better haul ass-the sun's about to come up." Turning to Joey, he quipped, "Unless you _want_ to see a Kentucky Fried Vampire."

They turned to leave, but Saul turned back when he realized that Nadine wasn't following them. She remained seated on the floor, obviously with no intention of moving. "Nadine," Saul said slowly, anxiety creeping into his voice. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"Waiting." The simple response seemed to throw Saul and Joey completely, and Joey asked, "Waiting for what?"

This time, Nadine did not reply, but tossed her head back, staring up at the ceiling, where, through the skylight, the first fingers of dawn were reddening the sky.

And just like that, Joey and Saul understood.

"_No_!" Saul lunged forward to grab her shoulders, horrified, and Joey exclaimed, "You'll die!" Nadine sighed. "I'm already _dead_." She retorted. "And I think it's about time I started acting like it."

Joey shook her head, tears filling her eyes, while Saul, his voice cracking, insisted, "Elliot wouldn't want this. And it won't bring him back."

"_Nothing_ will bring Elliot back, Saul." She shot back, her voice sharp now. "He's gone." A pause, and then she added, more softly, "The demon was right about one thing-it _is_ desire that opens the box. I had to know. I had to know what happened to him. I had to know how he really felt about me." Smiling at a tearful Joey, she said, "And now, thanks to you, Joey, I do. Now, I can go."

"He did love you, didn't he?" Usually the calm, collected voice of sarcasm, Saul seemed to be having real trouble holding it together. He was crying openly, and trembling like a leaf. "Yes, he did." Nadine affirmed, then took her old friend's hand. "Please, try to understand." She said gently. "I know what it's like, to be stuck in Limbo. I've been stuck there for seventy years. I want peace, Saul. Or, at the very least, oblivion."

Saul nodded his head, tears still flowing freely. "I get it." He choked out. "That doesn't mean I _like_ it."

Impulsively, Joey hugged Nadine. "Thank you." She said quiveringly. "Thank you for everything." Then, as she pulled away, Nadine turned to Saul. "Go." She commanded. "Go now. Before it's too late."

It was Joey who dragged a reluctant Saul to the door of the church, and then, with one backwards glance, they were gone.

As soon as they'd left, Nadine tilted her head back, as sunlight began to fill the church, and she murmured, "So, what do you think, Elliot? Is there hope of heaven for me?"

And right before the sun's rays consumed her completely, Nadine could have sworn she heard him say, "Anything is possible, darling."

_**Anything**__ is possible..._

"…_And everytime it rains, you're here in my head,_

_Like the sun coming out;_

_I just know that something good is gonna happen…"_

-**Kate Bush, 'Cloudbusting'**

**THE END. **

_**(Okay, I know it's not the happy ending you may have been expecting, but please R&R-and don't lynch me, LOL! Ellen. )**_

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	10. Chapter 10

**Epilogue-A Second Chance**

_(Okay, of __**course**__ I couldn't leave the story on such a sad note-I'm not a sadist, you know!...Well, okay, I __**am**__ a sadist-just don't tell anyone, LOL. I want to say also that the remainder of this story will be 'readers' choice'; that is to say that it'll be up to all of you whether I update this story, or end it on this chapter. More info at the end-for now, read on! The usual disclaimers apply-and I have to give Joss Whedon an honourable mention too, since I kind of 'borrowed' a line from the ANGEL episode, 'I Will Remember You'.) _

When Elliot slowly opened his eyes, he knew right away that he wasn't in Hell.

Only, he didn't seem to be in Limbo, either.

For one, he was still wearing his uniform, and there was no recognisable trace of his demonic other-no pins, no leather, no pale skin.

And most importantly, no evil.

In fact, when he did open his eyes, he could see nothing but white. He seemed to be sitting in a room or space consisting entirely of white light.

"Hello, Elliot."

He jerked, surprised at the unexpected sound of the female voice, and looked up to find a beautiful woman staring down at him, smiling kindly. She was dressed completely in white; even her hair seemed to be white. Her skin was pale pink, and her eyes a gorgeous shade of cornflower blue.

Elliot had no idea who she was; as a matter of fact, right now, he was having trouble figuring out who _he_ was. Not to mention _where_ he was.

"W-Who are you?" He stammered, utterly confused, and the strange woman shook her head. "That doesn't matter." She replied. "Well, then, where am I?" He persisted, voice rising a little. "This...isn't Limbo, is it?" Again, a delicate shake of her head. "Not quite." She said simply. "And I know this can't be Hell." He continued, more quietly now. "Believe me, I'd know."

And suddenly, a thought occurred to him, an amazing incredible thought:

Oh, but it _couldn't_ be-he didn't deserve it.

"Is this...Heaven?" He asked hesitantly, and the woman laughed, a lovely, melodious sound. "You ask a lot of questions, Captain Spenser." She murmured, then suddenly dropped to her knees beside him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and then Elliot dropped his gaze. Not out of fear, but a sense of deference. Of respect.

This woman...wasn't really a woman. That much he knew.

"This isn't Heaven." She finally told him. "You don't belong there, Elliot." He sighed, unable to hide his disappointment. Of course, he'd _known_ Heaven had no place for him. After the things he'd done, the decades he'd spent in Hell, how could he have allowed himself even the briefest moment of hope?

"So...what is this place?" He pressed. He couldn't help it; he needed to know. There was no reply from the woman for several moments, and Elliot thought she wouldn't answer at all, until she suddenly said, "We call it The Realm of Judgement, Elliot. A place where lost souls are delivered, for reward or punishment to be called upon them."

Elliot was now more confused than ever. With a frown, he said, "Judgement? But judgement was passed on me decades ago. When I opened that box."

Another smile crossed the woman's lips, and Elliot, not for the first time, noticed how breathtakingly beautiful she was. Of course, as a mortal man, he had always had an eye for a pretty face, but there was something... otherworldly about this woman. And obviously, no woman, human or otherwise, could compare to his beloved Nadine-and at the thought of her, Elliot felt tears prick at his eyes.

_My darling_, he thought sadly. _Forgive me. I'm so sorry I had to leave you again_.

His attention was diverted back to the woman, as she said, "Would it surprise you if I said that you were never meant to die when you did? That neither was Nadine? Unfortunately, the fate of all mortals cannot be controlled, Elliot. Things happen that are beyond our power. Sometimes we cannot act in time."

"Who exactly are 'we'?" Elliot enquired, his curiosity aroused now. And what did she mean when she said that he and Nadine were not supposed to die?

"It would take far too long to explain properly." The woman replied. "But I will say that humans are permitted to make their own choices, good or bad-and must suffer the consequences, whatever they may be. Your death was not part of the plan, however. Nor was Nadine's. But your desire was too strong, your path of self-destruction beyond any intervention. And Nadine...her becoming a vampire was also beyond our control. Which left your unborn son with no choice at all."

Elliot's eyes flew open, fresh pain gripping him. "Our...son?" He repeated tearfully, and when she nodded, he buried his face in his hands. "We could have had a son." He sobbed. Why was she telling him these things, reminding him of all he had lost?

He stared up at the woman when she touched his shoulder, and she continued, "You used to say God failed you, Elliot. But did it occur to you that perhaps you failed _yourself_? The war was not his fault-but the fault of the evil men who instigated it. Free will-it was free will that started the war. As it was free will that ultimately led you to the Lament Configuration-though it was not your will that opened it. And, most significantly, it was free will that has brought you here. You showed a lot of bravely, Elliot, in your endeavours to return yourself and the demon Xipe Totec, united once more, to Hell. And Nadine and her friend Saul showed a lot of bravery in helping you. As for Joanne Summerskill, her reward awaits. But it'll be decades before she claims it." A wry smile, and she added, "At least, I hope."

"Who are you, really?" Elliot had been humbled into silence by the woman's succinct, wise words, but now...he had to know what was going on here, why he wasn't in Hell, reunited forever with the demonic manifestation of his evil.

"Think of me as your judge and jury, Captain." She smiled. "And executioner?" Elliot joked weakly, and she chuckled. "Not quite." She replied. "As I told you, you're here to face judgement."

"And I told _you_," Elliot said impatiently. "That I've _already _faced judgement. I've spent almost seventy years in Hell-I think I'm beyond bloody judgement at this point!"

He hadn't meant to shout, but he was getting frustrated now, with all this enigmatic talk of judgement. "Forgive me." He said quietly. "I didn't mean to raise my voice, I just...why aren't I in Hell? That's where I was supposed to go-where _we _were supposed to go."

"Xipe Totec is in Hell." The woman told him. "And since he broke free of the box, and attempted to, as Nadine put it, 'take over the world', I imagine Leviathan will be none too pleased with him. But your human soul...when you opened the box, your soul went to Hell, and was beyond our reach. But when Kirsty Cotton released your soul and it went to Limbo, it became forfeit. Which is why, when you sent the demon to Hell, we brought your soul here."

Elliot suddenly felt incredibly nervous. "What are you going to do with me?" He asked, and she smiled. "Before we get to that, let me ask you a question." She said to him. "If you could go back, to before you opened the box, to before you met Nadine, even-would you do things differently?"

"I spent all that time in Limbo, thinking about Nadine," Elliot replied softly, expression anguished. "About how much I had hurt her, how I should never have left her. That I loved her so much." He raised his eye, staring the woman dead in the face, and added grimly, "To answer your question-what do you _think_?"

Her smile widened, and Elliot's unease grew in intensity. "That was the right answer, Captain." She told him. "I just hope you won't make us regret our decision." He frowned. "What decision?" He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer, quite frankly.

She didn't answer for a moment, turning her back on him, and looking into space, or at something he couldn't see. Finally, she replied musingly, "Temporal folds are not normally to indulge at the whims of lower beings."

That was it-Elliot's patience had officially run out, and he snapped, "What the _Hell_ does that mean?" Another lengthy pause, and then she said, the tone of her voice conciliatory, "Forgive me, Elliot-of course, you don't understand. Our role, as far as humanity is concerned at least, is normally merely to observe, but sometime, just sometimes, in extenuating circumstances, we can act. We can create a temporal fold, Elliot-which means we can turn back time, send you back. Back to 1920-before the box, before Nadine. To give you a chance to put things right."

Elliot gaped at this extraordinary woman, his jaw dropping open. What was she talking about? He couldn't go _back_. There was no 'back' to go _back_ to.

"That sounds wonderful." He said sarcastically. "Except for one tiny problem-I'm _dead_."

"_Are_ you?" She said with a smile, then reached down to take Elliot's hand, and held it to his chest. At first, he hadn't the slightest idea what she was trying to do, and then, he gasped when he felt it:

His heart. His heart was beating.

"The soul is the only thing that matters, Elliot." She explained. "Once we have that, then we can easily restore the body. You're human. _Alive_. And we _can_ send you back. The only question is, do you _want_ to go back?"

Elliot didn't even have to think about it-not that he completely believed any of this was true, anyway. "Not without her." Was his firm reply. "And Nadine can't go back-she's a vampire."

"Not anymore." His head shot up at this unexpected remark, and she elaborated, "When you...left, Nadine waited for sunrise. She sacrificed herself, Elliot. After all, she had been dead for years." Off his stricken look, she added gently, "Don't you see? In doing what she did, Nadine also forfeited her soul. We've already sent her back. To New Delhi, India, September fourteenth, nineteen-twenty, to be exact. The first night you met."

Elliot's eyes flooded with tears, and they flowed down his face. "Nadine's..._alive_?" He scarcely dared to believe it, but he knew from extensive experience that far stranger things had happened. And _could_ happen. "She's..._waiting_ for me?"

"Ah." The woman sighed, then said hesitantly, "Not exactly. You see, well, there's a catch. Several, in fact." Off his curious stare, she continued, "First of all, just as no good deed goes unrewarded, no bad deed can go unpunished. If we send you back, it will be with every single memory intact. You will remember everything, Elliot. The box, your time in Hell, everything."

Elliot seemed to consider this, then nodded. "I think I can live with that." He told her. "What else?"

"As far as everybody else is concerned," she continued. "Your fellow soldiers, your superiors, your friends, you're still the self-destructive, hedonistic man you were first time around. It's up to you to prove everyone wrong. To prove you've changed."

"Alright." Elliot agreed, slowly beginning to realise that this was real, that he really _was_ going back. Well, perhaps. "Is that it?"

The woman shook her head. "One more thing." She told him. "Nadine will have no memory of you. As far as she will be aware, it will be her first time ever laying eyes on you. She will have no recollection of the box, or the demon you became. When I said it was going to be your first meeting Elliot, I meant it. It's your chance to win her again, properly, without any of the pain and darkness your previous relationship entailed. It's your chance to make her fall in love with the man you've proved you can be."

Elliot was in a state of shock. From what he could ascertain, he was being given a second chance at life by some Higher Being or other, and so was Nadine. He was being sent back to his former life, to try to atone for his past sins-and win the heart of the woman he loved all over again in the process.

But...

"This is a test, isn't it?" He asked, smiling slightly. "And if I fail, I go right back to Hell-am I right?" "Absolutely not." The woman retorted. "You're getting the chance to live your life again, from that first moment you met Nadine. And when I say 'live', Elliot, I mean it. If you don't win Nadine, if you go down that same self-destructive path, then you still get to live out the rest of your life. However, you only get one chance. Remember that."

Elliot got unsteadily to his feet. This was so much to take in, the knowledge that he was being given an opportunity he felt he didn't really deserve, a chance to right the wrongs he had committed, particularly against Nadine. No box, no Hell. It seemed unreal-but he now believed it to be true.

"How do I go back?" He enquired finally, and she grimaced slightly. "Oh, this is where things get a little clichéd." She said, and even as she spoke, the space around them seemed to grow dark, and Elliot could see an ever-brightening glow in the near distance. She pointed to it. "The light at the end of the tunnel." She sighed. "They do love the big dramatics here. Just walk through the light Elliot, and you'll be back."

Elliot nodded. "Thank you...er..." He faltered, realizing that he didn't know her name-or if she even _had _a name. "Call me Themis." She told him, and he chuckled. "After the Greek goddess of divine justice, right?" He murmured, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Not just a handsome face are you, Captain Spenser?" She quipped, and when he blushed slightly, she added, "Well, it's appropriate I think. Now get out of here, you've got a life to return to-and _please_ don't mess this up."

"Goodbye, Themis-and thank you again." Impulsively, Elliot leaned over and kissed her cheek, and as he began to walk towards the light, back to his life, Themis murmured, "Goodbye, Elliot. And good luck."...

**THE END...? **

_(Okay, this is where you wonderful readers come in-is the story over, or do you want me to continue Elliot's journey, as he adjusts to being human again and tries to woo Nadine? It's completely your choice-but for the moment, please R&R! Thank you. :-)) _


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